HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Parliamentary Recording Unit

Jo Swinson: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what guidance it issues on posting material provided by the Parliamentary Recording Unit on external websites.

Nick Harvey: Members may obtain parliamentary material for use on their own parliamentary websites subject to the following conditions.
	1. The permission is restricted to use of recordings of proceedings on a Member's own parliamentary website (and not on any searchable third party hosting website).
	2. A Member may only use material which features the Member, any reply from a Minister to a question asked by the Member, and any other contributions to the debate on an issue raised by the Member.
	3. The recording will be supplied by the Parliamentary Recording Unit watermarked with a portcullis logo to show its origin and discourage its unauthorised use by others. The Member will be asked to acknowledge Parliamentary Copyright on his/her site and ensure the material is not downloadable.
	The original webcasting licence from the Speaker and PARBUL was renewed in June 2006, and this permitted the use of the clean feed of proceedings to be used in a live webcast maintained or operated by the House of Commons. It specifically stated that the clean feed shall not be passed to any other person.
	Following representations from Members, the licence was varied so the above guidelines could be adopted. This variance was noted by the Administration Committee on 12 December 2006.

Portcullis House: Escalators

Tom Brake: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many times the escalators in Portcullis House have been  (a) replaced and  (b) repaired since the building opened.

Nick Harvey: The escalators in Portcullis House were installed in 1999 and  (a) were replaced during the summer recess of 2007 and  (b) repairs and component replacements have been carried out from time to time notably on the handrails, the drive mechanisms and lighting.

WALES

Departmental Marketing

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what products featuring departmental or Government branding were procured by his Department in each of the last five years.

Peter Hain: In 2006 my Department procured pens bearing the Wales Office logo. However, as my Department records expenditure on total office supplies and not individual items, the cost can be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Departmental Marketing

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many posters or displays there are in the offices of his Department displaying the names and photographs of Ministers; and what the cost has been of producing such posters or displays in the last five years.

Peter Hain: My Department does not currently have any posters or displays of Ministers.
	In March 2007 posters were produced for a reception. However, as my Department records expenditure on total office supplies and not individual items, the cost can be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Trade Unions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what meetings he has had with trade unions officials since 1 July 2007; on what dates; and with which trade unions.

Peter Hain: Ministers meet many people as part of the process of policy development. It is not normal practice to disclose details of such meetings.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Birds of Prey

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many birds of prey there were in the UK in each year since 2001.

Joan Ruddock: Bird of prey populations are not assessed annually in the UK so it is not possible to provide figures for each year since 2001. The population of most species is assessed periodically by species-specific surveys of breeding numbers. The latest available results from these, together with the year/s of survey, are provided in the following table. The table also gives the estimated population trend since 2001.
	A tentative estimate for the current total population of all birds of prey in the UK, based on the information in the table, is around 145,000 breeding pairs.
	
		
			  Species  Population estimate (breeding pairs)  Year of estimate  Population trend since 2001 (see footnotes) 
			 Honey Buzzard(1) 33-69 2000 Increase 
			 Marsh Harrier(1) 360 2005 Increase 
			 Hen Harrier(1) 806 2004 Increase 
			 Montagu's Harrier(1) 10-12 2004 Stable/fluctuating 
			 Goshawk(1) 410 1994-2000 Stable 
			 Golden Eagle(1) 442 2003 Stable 
			 Osprey(1) 148 1998-2002 Increase 
			 Merlin(1) 1,330 1990-94 Increase 
			 Peregrine(1) 1,492 2002 Increase 
			 Hobby(1) 2,200 2000 Increase 
			 Sparrowhawk(2) 40,000 2000 Stable 
			 Buzzard(2) 44-61,000 2001 Increase 
			 Kestrel(2) 35,400 2000 Stable 
			 Red Kite(3) 1,355 2007 Increase 
			 White-tailed Eagle(3) 33 2006 Increase 
			 (1) For these species, population trend information is derived from survey work carried out since 2001 that provides data on population trends but not an assessment of the total population, based on data collated annually by the UK Rare Breeding Birds Panel and reported in the journal "British Birds", together with additional information collected by local raptor groups.  (2 )For these species, population trend information is derived from survey work carried out since 2001 that provides data on population trends but not an assessment of the total population. This information is derived from the British Trust for Ornithology's annual Breeding Bird Survey.  (3) For these species a full survey has been carried out in recent years. Population trend information is derived from a comparison between the results of the most recent survey and earlier full surveys carried out since 2001.

Climate Change Committee: Public Appointments

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to appoint the Chairman of the Climate Change Committee; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The process for appointment of the Chair designate of the Shadow Committee on Climate Change is under way and we aim to appoint as soon as it has been completed.

European Fisheries Fund

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1269W, on the European Fisheries Fund (EFF), whether he has made a formal request to the Commission to allow the UK to carry over the 2007 EFF budget allocated to the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have not made a formal request to the European Commission to allow the UK to carry over the 2007 portion of its European Fisheries Fund budget allocation, since it is not yet clear that any reduction in the overall budget will be imposed.

Fisheries: National Income

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of the gross value added of  (a) England,  (b) the North West and  (c) Copeland was derived from commercial fishing over the last 20 years.

Jonathan R Shaw: Estimates of gross value added are available only at UK level. The information we hold is presented in the following table.
	
		
			  Details of current prices gross value added at basic prices for the UK fishing industry (including landings abroad) 
			   Gross value added (£ million) 
			 1987 473 
			 1988 449 
			 1989 423 
			 1990 472 
			 1991 496 
			 1992 486 
			 1993 527 
			 1994 396 
			 1995 415 
			 1996 415 
			 1997 412 
			 1998 399 
			 1999 406 
			 2000 398 
			 2001 377 
			 2002 374 
			 2003 376 
			 2004 389 
			 2005 399 
			 2006 468 
			  Source: Office for National Statistics, Series QTUF.

Fisheries: Penalties

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the European Commission on the possible penalties the UK could face for not submitting its European Fisheries Fund Operational Programme to the European Commission by 31 December 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: There is no provision for penalties in relation to submission of Operational Programmes after 31 December 2007. I have therefore had no discussions with the European Commission on this matter. However, it is open to the Commission to take action as noted in my answers of 21 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 863-864W and 5 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 1268-69W to the hon. Member.

Floods

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which five regions are most at risk of flooding.

Phil Woolas: Rainfall does not, over the years, recognise Government administrative boundaries. At-risk areas cross regional boundaries.

Local Government Finance: Rural Areas

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has for the funding for rural community councils expressed in real terms in each financial year to 2012-13.

Jonathan R Shaw: On 14 December, I announced a flat £3.45 million for the network of rural community councils in England for each of the next three financial years.

Local Government Finance: Rural Areas

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had on the method of allocating funding to rural community councils in England; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: On 14 December, I was pleased to announce that £3.45 million would be made available to support the network of rural community councils (RCCs) in England for each of the next three years. This funding will be channelled through Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE), the lead body for the RCC network, who will be responsible for making allocations to individual RCCs. ACRE is currently developing its plans for allocating the funding, in consultation with DEFRA, and will make this information available to the RCCs as soon as possible.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire dated 19 December 2007, on flooding funding in the form of subsidies and grants for private individuals.

Phil Woolas: The hon. Member's letter of 19 December 2007 was transferred to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for reply.

National Parks

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the proportion of members of National Park boards who live within five miles of the relevant national park.

Jonathan R Shaw: No estimation has been made of the proportion of members of national park boards who live within five miles of the relevant national park.

New Forest

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the timetable is for reviewing and renewing the Minister's Mandate for the New Forest; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: The Minister's Mandate for the New Forest is due for review and renewal in 2008. Since the current mandate was presented to the Forestry Commission in 1999, the New Forest has seen considerable change, not least the establishment of the New Forest national park. Any future mandate would need to take account of those changes and the new legislation and governance arrangements for the area.
	Preparation of the management plan for the national park is due for completion in March 2009. The management plan will establish the framework for future actions to secure and enhance the area's special qualities and the Forestry Commission, who are responsible for the management of 47 per cent. of the park area, will play a full part in its delivery.
	Given the time scale for the preparation of the management plan, I have asked the Forestry Commission to seek views locally about whether it is better for the mandate to be reviewed in 2008 as originally intended or after the National Park Management Plan is completed. Should the review be deferred then, I would extend the existing mandate over the intervening period. Once I have received the Forestry Commission's advice, I will write to the hon. Member.

Post Offices: Closures

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with  (a) the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and  (b) the Post Office on the likely effect on rural and semi-rural areas of the proposed post office closures.

Jonathan R Shaw: The forum for discussions and decisions on the likely effect of the proposed post office restructure in all areas, both rural and urban, is the cross-Government Ministerial Committee on the post office network (MISC33). The role of this Committee has been to allow collective consideration of, and decisions on, issues relating to the future of the post office network. DEFRA Ministers have played a full part in the work of the Committee.

Renewable Energy: Public Buildings

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of the electricity requirements of the central Government estate were procured from renewable energy providers in the last period for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: In its 2006 annual report "Sustainable Development in Government", the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) reported that the Government estate was sourcing 23 per cent. of its electricity from renewable sources in the reporting period 2005-06. The information was compiled from information returned by Departments. The SDC's report is available on its website at: http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/sdig2006.

Rights of Way

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many local authorities had adopted rights of way improvement plans at  (a) 21 November 2007 and  (b) the latest date for which information is available; and which local authorities have not yet adopted a plan.

Jonathan R Shaw: By 21 November 2007, 34 out of 126 individual and joint local highway authorities had adopted rights of way improvement plans, and as at 31 December 2007 this number had not changed.
	The local authorities which have not yet adopted a plan are:
	 North East region
	Northumberland county council
	Northumberland national park
	Durham county council
	Darlington borough council
	Stockton borough council
	Middlesbrough borough council
	Redcar/Cleveland
	Tyne and Wear Joint—(Gateshead; North Tyneside; South Tyneside; Newcastle; Sunderland)
	 North West region
	Blackburn
	Oldham metropolitan borough council
	Rochdale metropolitan borough council
	Bolton metropolitan borough council
	Bury metropolitan borough council
	Tameside
	Merseyside (Wirral; Liverpool; Sefton; St. Helens; Knowsley)
	Manchester city
	Salford city council
	Trafford metropolitan borough council
	Warrington
	Halton borough council
	Wigan metropolitan borough council
	 Yorkshire and Humberside
	East Riding
	Hull city council
	North East
	Lincolnshire
	North Lincolnshire
	North Yorkshire county council
	City of York
	Barnsley metropolitan borough council
	Doncaster metropolitan borough council
	Sheffield
	Bradford
	Calderdale metropolitan borough council
	Kirklees
	Leeds city council
	Wakefield metropolitan borough council
	 West Midlands
	Shropshire
	Herefordshire
	Staffordshire
	Walsall
	Solihull
	Telford and Wrekin
	Coventry city council
	Sandwell metropolitan borough council
	Dudley metropolitan borough council
	Wolverhampton metropolitan borough council
	Stoke on Trent
	 Eastern region
	Luton
	Essex county council
	Norfolk Broads authority
	Norfolk county council
	Southend borough council
	 South West region
	Cornwall county council
	Dorset county council
	Wiltshire county council
	Bristol; South Gloucestershire; Bath and North East Somerset
	Torbay
	Plymouth
	Poole and Bournemouth
	N Somerset
	Swindon
	 South East region
	Buckinghamshire
	East Sussex
	Kent
	Medway
	Milton Keynes
	Portsmouth
	Reading
	Slough borough council
	Southampton
	Surrey
	West Berkshire
	West Sussex
	Wokingham district council
	 Outer London boroughs
	Barnet
	Barking and Dagenham
	Bexley
	Brent
	Croydon
	Ealing
	Enfield
	Haringey
	Harrow
	Havering
	Hillingdon
	Hounslow
	Kingston
	Merton
	Newham
	Redbridge
	Richmond
	Sutton
	Waltham Forest

Waste Disposal: Domestic Wastes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made, and what research was undertaken, by  (a) his Department,  (b) his consultants Eunomia and  (c) the Waste Resources Action Programme into the change in the burning of household rubbish following the imposition of new bin taxes.

Joan Ruddock: Powers provided in the Climate Change Bill will allow up to five local authorities to come forward to pilot non-revenue raising incentive schemes, which are designed to encourage householders to reduce the waste they throw away and increase recycling.
	My Department has not made an estimate or undertaken research into the increase in the burning of household rubbish following the introduction of pilot waste incentive schemes, nor has Eunomia undertaken work in this area for Government. As for the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), they are not responsible for research or policy on backyard burning.

Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what penalties councils will be able to levy for non-payment of the proposed new charges for domestic rubbish collection.

Joan Ruddock: Powers provided in the Climate Change Bill will allow up to five local authorities to pilot non-revenue raising incentives schemes, which are designed to encourage household waste minimisation and recycling.
	It is envisaged that local authorities running pilot schemes would be able to recover any money owed by residents through the courts as a civil debt.

Waste Disposal: Fly Tipping

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what his Department's latest projection is of the likely change in fly-tipping in  (a) percentage and  (b) volume terms, broken down by local authority, under the plans for proposed new charges for domestic rubbish collection;
	(2)  what assessment has been made of the effect of higher charges for the collection and disposal of waste on levels of waste-related offences.

Joan Ruddock: My Department has made no projections for increases in fly-tipping under waste incentive schemes.
	For modelling purposes, the impact assessment for this policy assesses the possible effect of waste incentive schemes on levels of waste-related offences, and the potential costs to local authorities. The impact assessment can be found on the Department's website.
	We also think that it is sensible for pilot authorities to review their policies for tackling fly-tipping, and to have a fly-tipping prevention strategy in place. Having a strategy in place to deal with fly-tipping is good common sense for all authorities.
	Evidence from other countries where similar schemes operate suggests that an increase in fly-tipping is not an automatic consequence of introducing them. Where increases in fly-tipping have been seen overseas, this quickly tails off where schemes are well designed and effective enforcement action is taken. Having a good strategy is in the first instance an important part of effective enforcement.
	Further details will also be covered in guidance, which is currently being developed and will be publicly consulted on.

Waste Information Services Ltd.: Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what payments  (a) his Department and  (b) the Waste Resources Action Programme has made to (i) Waste Information Services Ltd. and (ii) the Sauce Consultancy in the last 36 months.

Joan Ruddock: No such payments have been made by my Department to either company.
	In the last 36 months, the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has made payments to Waste Information Services Ltd. totalling £3,509.60. No payments have been made by WRAP to Sauce Consultancy over this period.

Water Supply

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made by the tri-sector partnership for water and sanitation on achieving the millennium development goals.

Gareth Thomas: I have been asked to reply.
	DFID supports tri-sector partnerships that aim to help achieve the water and sanitation Millennium Development Goal targets. In particular DFID is funding:
	The Partnership for Water and Sanitation (PAWS) which matches skills and expertise of UK groups with partner countries in Africa to build capacity for the delivery of water and sanitation. PAWS support is assisting three countries as follows:
	 Ethiopia
	United Utilities works with the Government of Ethiopia to address water loss and strengthen capacity in 24 towns and to train Ministry staff.
	 Nigeria
	Atkins, South West Water and Cranfield University work with WaterAid Nigeria and the Government of Benue State to establish Water Consumer Associations in three small towns, and enhance customer engagement in water service provision to over 40,000 people.
	 South Africa
	A twinning arrangement between Yorkshire Water and Zululand District Municipality is exchanging knowledge in customer care, water quality and asset management which is providing improved services to over 150,000 people.
	The Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) programme is a partnership between the private, public and civil society sectors to provide more effective delivery of water supply and basic sanitation services to approximately 3.5 million low-income urban and peri-urban communities by 2015. WSUP is piloting projects in Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique and India. This project has made good progress, with current projects expected to reach 35,000 people with better water and sanitation services by March 2008.

Whales: Conservation

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the threat to endangered whale species posed by the Japanese whaling fleet in waters off Antarctica.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer given 17 January 2008
	Japan plans to kill 935 minke and 50 fin whales in the Antarctic this season under its "scientific" research programme (known as JARPA II). Agreed estimates from the International Whaling Commission's Scientific Committee for both species are too old and uncertain to be relied upon. While it seems unlikely that Japan's activities will put the survival of either species at serious risk, we note that fin whales are listed as "Endangered" on the World Conservation Union Red List of threatened species. Hunting this species may therefore put at risk the survival of small localised populations frequenting the Antarctic and South Pacific.
	When I called in the Japanese Deputy Ambassador on 8 January 2008, I stressed that we found the hunting of "Endangered" fin whales particularly unacceptable; the same point was firmly made in the Demarche presented to the Japanese Government on 21 December 2007.

TRANSPORT

Bus Services: Concessions

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what plans she has to provide extra discretionary funding to travel concession authorities in the event that the cost of providing the national bus concessionary fares scheme substantially exceeds the amount of special grant funding provided to them;
	(2)  what rural proofing was undertaken by her Department in respect of the national bus concessionary fares scheme;
	(3)  what allowance was made for the disparity between transport inflation and specific grant inflation allowance in the special grant funding provided to travel concession authorities.

Rosie Winterton: The Government are making £212 million available to travel concession authorities in England for 2008-09 to cover the cost of the new statutory minimum bus concession which commences on 1 April 2008. This is based on very generous assumptions about fares, the take-up of passes, and the number of extra journeys. It also includes a significant contingency to allow for the difficulty of distributing grant by formula and uncertainty around likely travel patterns. No specific allowance has been made for transport inflation but the total allocation will increase to £217 million in 2009-10 and £223 million in 2010-11. We are confident that this will be sufficient to cover the on-going cost of the concession although we will be monitoring its impact closely. Authorities offering concessions that are more generous than the statutory minimum must do so at their own cost. We have no plans to provide additional funding to individual authorities.
	In terms of considering the needs of rural authorities, we are proposing a distribution of this grant that takes into account visitor numbers, levels of bus use, retail floor space, and eligible population—all variables likely to be linked to the eventual pattern of cost. Our proposed distribution also reflects the clear preference of those who responded to our recent consultation on the issue.

Bus Services: Fares

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average rise in bus fares was in each English local authority in each of the last 10 years.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not available. However, estimates for London, the metropolitan areas and the rest of England were published for 1996-97 to 2006-07 in Table G of the Public Transport Statistics Bulletin GB in September 2007. They are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Local bus fare indices: 1996-97 to 2006-07 
			  1995=100 
			   London  English PTE areas  English non-PTE areas  England 
			 1996-97 105.5 106.4 106.2 106.0 
			 1997-98 109.4 112.8 112.0 111.5 
			 1998-99 113.8 117.9 117.3 116.4 
			 1999-2000 117.2 123.5 122.6 121.4 
			 2000-01 117.3 128.6 129.2 125.8 
			 2001-02 115.5 135.5 136.1 130.3 
			 2002-03 114.8 140.7 142.4 134.3 
			 2003-04 116.9 146.7 149.0 139.4 
			 2004-05 126.8 153.3 155.9 147.2 
			 2005-06 139.7 166.0 166.2 159.4 
			 2006-07 151.5 168.3 159.5 160.1

Bus Services: Passengers

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if she will list the 10 town or council areas, with  (a) the largest percentage increases in bus usage and  (b) the largest percentage decreases in bus usage for the latest year for which figures are available;
	(2)  if she will list the 10 town or council areas with the  (a) largest and  (b) smallest number of bus journeys made for the latest year for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not available from the DFT annual survey of bus operators. Local authority estimates of bus passenger journeys are published on the Audit Commission's best value data web page at:
	www.audit-commission.gov.uk/performance/dataprovision.asp

Cars

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average mileage of a car in England was in each year since 1994.

Rosie Winterton: The following table shows the estimated average annual mileage of four-wheeled cars in England for 1995-97 (combined years) to 2006. The figures are based on data from the National Travel Survey.
	
		
			  Annual mileage of four-wheeled cars, England, 1995-97 to 2006 
			   Average mileage 
			 1995-97 9,600 
			 1996-98 9,570 
			 1997-99 9,440 
			 1998-2000 9,540 
			 1999-2001 9,340 
			 2002 9,160 
			 2003 9,200 
			 2004 9,100 
			 2005 8,950 
			 2006 8,740

Departmental Marketing

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what products featuring departmental or Government branding were procured by  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Full details of individual products featuring departmental or Government branding procured in each of the last five years could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Branded items that we have procured, however, include typical promotional goods such as carrier bags for use in exhibitions; road safety stickers to support our campaigns, pens, desk pads and mugs. Less typical promotional items, but relevant to the promotion of road safety, include triangular reflectors and ice scrapers.

Departmental Marketing

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many posters or displays there are in the offices of her Department and its agencies displaying the names and photographs of Ministers; and what the cost has been of producing such posters or displays in the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: A number of display panels around our two headquarters buildings in London inform staff and visitors about our objectives, our structure and governance and our work. Five panels include the names and photographs of Ministers. The costs are usually included in contracts covering other internal publicity activity and separating out this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether any of her Department's special advisers also work for organisations outside her Department.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the "Model Contract and Code of Conduct for Special Advisers", copies of which are in the Library of the House.

Driving Tests: Elderly

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations she has received on a proposed compulsory driving test for elderly drivers.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 15 January 2008
	 Over the last 12 months the Department has received numerous representations from Members of Parliament, stakeholders and interested parties on this issue.

Driving Under Influence: Death

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many young people who died as a result of road traffic accidents were  (a) under the influence of alcohol and  (b) under the influence of drugs in each of the past 10 years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The percentage of drivers and riders killed over the legal blood alcohol limit by age group for Great Britain from 1997 to 2006 is shown in the table.
	
		
			   Motorcycle riders  Cars and other motor vehicles  
			   Age   Age   
			   16-19  20-29  30-39  40+  All Ages  16-19  20-29  30-39  40+  All Ages  All 
			 1997 10 14 16 7 13 25 23 26 12 19 17 
			 1998 15 7 18 6 11 17 25 24 9 17 15 
			 1999 23 8 12 2 9 22 31 31 7 20 17 
			 2000 17 10 13 5 10 20 32 34 12 22 18 
			 2001 11 14 12 1 10 18 35 25 14 22 18 
			 2002 27 15 10 2 11 18 31 37 14 19 19 
			 2003 10 20 12 8 13 18 33 28 12 19 19 
			 2004 19 19 13 10 14 26 31 32 16 25 21 
			 2005 26 11 13 11 13 25 33 33 13 24 20 
			 2006(1) 14(2) 10(3) 11 25 33 24 19 25 20 
			 (1) Provisional data. The sample size for 2006 is not yet sufficient to give a full age breakdown. (2) Age groups 16-29. (3) Age groups 30+. 
		
	
	This table can also be found on the Department's website at the following address:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/172974/173025/221412/221549/227755/285672/Article3DrinkDrivetab1.xls
	Information on whether or not drivers involved in accidents failed a drugs test is not collected by the Department.

Driving: EC Action

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the written ministerial statement of 11 June 2007,  Official Report, column 38WS, on drivers' hours (derogation for reservists), whether the Minister has received a response from the European Commission to the request for a derogation from regulation (EC) 561/2006; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: There has been ongoing dialogue with the European Commission officials dealing with our request. A response is expected shortly. I will inform the House of the Commission's decision at that time.

Enterprise and Economic Development

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what her Department's planned expenditure on business support, promotion of enterprise and economic development is from 2007-08 to 2010-11; and which elements of this expenditure are planned to be funded through the regional development agencies' single pot.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport has, as one of its four departmental strategic objectives for the period 2008-09 to 2010-11, the goal
	"to sustain economic growth and improved productivity through reliable and efficient transport networks",
	and much of its total spending will contribute towards the achievement of that objective. However, it does not plan any expenditure that is directly for business support, promotion of enterprise or economic development. The DFT does not contribute any funding to the regional development agencies' single pot.

Eurostar: Ebbsfleet International

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passengers have travelled from Ebbsfleet via Eurostar since the inauguration of that service.

Tom Harris: This is an operational matter for Eurostar. The hon. Gentleman should contact the company for an answer to his question at the following address:
	Simon Montague
	Director of Communications
	Eurostar
	Eurostar House
	Waterloo
	SE1 8SE.

Eurostar: Fares

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what surcharge was applied to passengers taking weekend breaks in Paris and travelling by Eurostar from  (a) Ebbsfleet and  (b) Paddington.

Tom Harris: This is a matter for Eurostar who advise that it imposes no surcharges for travellers taking weekend breaks from any of its UK stations including Ashford International, Ebbsfleet International and St. Pancras International. Eurostar does not serve London Paddington.

Inland Waterways

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of waterways and canals have been lost for transportation purposes in each year since 1997.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have been asked to reply.
	None. On the contrary, the network of canals and waterways managed by our sponsored navigation bodies (British Waterways, the Environment Agency and the Broads Authority) has expanded by 150 miles since 1997. This is largely due to British Waterways' involvement in a number of restoration schemes. It is also currently involved in the restoration of a further 50 miles of canals.
	We have no information on waterways managed by other navigation bodies.

London and South Eastern Railway: Fares

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Strategic Rail Authority's Integrated Franchise Agreement Briefing Document, what the agreed ceiling for fare increases was for South Eastern Railway.

Tom Harris: The Stakeholder Briefing Document for the Integrated Kent Franchise, published by the Strategic Rail Authority in January 2005, stated that bidders had been asked to prepare proposals which anticipated either a continuation of the present fare structure (annual increases of 1 per cent. above the retail price index) or a fares regime that allowed tickets to be priced at 3 per cent. above the retail price index for the first five years of the franchise. Government would then decide which to proceed with once bids had been returned and a measure of the cost and affordability of each proposition was known.
	Southeastern regulated fares have an overall cap of an annual average increase of 3 per cent. above the retail price index, or 6.8 per cent. for 2008.
	Individual regulated fares can increase by more than the average and for Southeastern fares, the maximum is 8 per cent. above inflation. Therefore, individual regulated fares on South Eastern were permitted to rise by up to 11.8 per cent. for 2008, provided average increases were limited to RPI+3 per cent.

London and South Eastern Railway: Finance

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much subsidy South Eastern Railways received from her Department as a percentage of the income from the franchise in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Tom Harris: It is not possible to provide figures regarding the percentage of subsidy to income. Franchise income is commercially sensitive information.
	The amount of subsidy paid to London and South Eastern Railways can be found on the Department's website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/passenger/franchises/franchisepaymentprofiles.

Motor Vehicles: Testing

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to reduce the number of vehicles being driven on UK roads without a valid MOT certificate.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The 'new style' MOT certificates issued by testing stations come with a sticker setting out the expiry date of the MOT to help motorists comply with the requirement to have a valid MOT certificate. We are also exploring the potential for issuing reminder notices about MOT expiry dates as a further measure to support compliance.
	We provide the police with access to the computerised record of MOT test results so that police officers can—for example during roadside enforcement operations—identify vehicles without a valid MOT using ANPR cameras and then take action.

Motor Vehicles: Testing

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the number of vehicles on the road with no valid MOT certificate.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The most recent on the road survey was undertaken in March 2006 this showed that around 4.2 per cent. of vehicles in use on the road did not have a valid MOT. When applied to the whole vehicle fleet this would relate to around 1.2 million vehicles. The exercise is expected to be repeated this year.

Network Rail: Repairs and Maintenance

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what input she intends to have in the inquiry now being carried out by the Office of Rail Regulation into the January 2008 overruns of engineering works on the west coast route modernisation.

Tom Harris: The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has launched an urgent investigation into Network Rail's management of engineering projects, including the overrun of works on the west coast main line over the new year. It has sought representations from a number of interested parties, including the Department for Transport. The Department is happy to answer any questions of the ORR where this can be helpful to its investigation.

Road Length

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of  (a) roads and  (b) cycle lanes were constructed in England in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority area.

Rosie Winterton: Data on lengths of roads constructed are not collected centrally.
	The Department does make annual estimates of total road lengths by local authority and by road class. These are for total lengths only, so any change between years can be due to reclassification and closure of roads as well as new construction. It is not possible to identify how much of the change is due to construction only. The latest figures are published online at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/roadstraffic/roadlengths/regionclass/.
	Information on the length of new cycle lanes constructed in England, outside London, for the financial years from 2001-02 to 2006-07 is set out in the tables, which have been placed in the Libraries of the House. These data have been collected only since 2001-02 and are provided in kilometres.
	The information is provided by local authorities on an annual basis as part of their annual performance report on their local transport plans. It is not verified by the Department. Responsibility for the accuracy of the data rests with individual authorities. The data are incomplete and include some estimates.
	Figures are not available for London boroughs but Transport for London report that around 550 km of the London Cycle Network+ were completed by April 2007 with a target of 900km due for completion by end 2010.

Roads: Lighting

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government has taken to encourage local councils to fund improved street lighting.

Rosie Winterton: Over the 10-year period covered by the first and second Local Transport Plan rounds, the Department for Transport is providing more than £6.5 billion for highways maintenance to English highway authorities outside London, to cover a range of investment in the network including street lighting. In addition, we have allocated £1.4 billion in credits for street lighting PFI schemes, including £64.3 million recently announced for the Coventry Street Lighting PFI project. Revenue support grant can also be used to operate street lighting.
	In a range of guidance and advice, the Government have encouraged local councils to consider how good street lighting adds to the character of an area, and can make an important contribution to, for example, reductions in accidents, crime or the fear of crime, or increased night-time mobility.
	In addition, the Department is represented on the UK Lighting Board, which brings together national and local government, and which contributes to the dissemination of best practice in street lighting. The Department also endorses and promotes the board's code of practice on highway lighting management, "Well-lit Highways" (TSO, 2004).
	Ministers and officials take many opportunities to engage with local authorities in this area. Most recently, I spoke to the 11(th) annual Institution of Lighting Engineers/Surveyor street lighting conference in December 2007.

Roads: Taxation

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many motor vehicles have been crushed for non-payment of road tax since the relevant provisions came into force.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of vehicles scrapped in the UK since 1997 is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 1997 to 2001 39,304 
			 2002 19,450 
			 2003 34,024 
			 2004 32,889 
			 2005 39,181 
			 2006 34,369 
			 2007 46,126 
			 Total vehicles scrapped 245,343

Safety Belts: Death

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many drivers aged 17 or under who died as a result of road traffic accidents were  (a) wearing a seatbelt and  (b) not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident in each of the past 10 years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is not available.
	Research reported in the published "Second Review of the Government's Road Safety Strategy" and "Road Safety Research Report No. 76: Trends in Fatal Car-occupant Accidents" both published on 26 February 2007, estimates that about a third of fatally injured car occupants were not wearing their seatbelts. For 2005 figures, it represents about 565 people, and it is estimated that about 370 people might have survived if they had been properly restrained. This research also reported that higher proportions of fatally injured car occupants were not wearing seatbelts in cars driven by young drivers. These reports are available at the following links and have also been deposited in the Libraries of the House:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/strategytargetsperformance/2ndreview/
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/research/rsrr/theme5/76?version=2
	A research report giving further details on seat belt wearing has also been published by TRL limited:
	http://www.trl.co.uk/store/report_detail.asp?srid=6160&pid=220

Speed Limits: Driving Offences

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people in Lancashire were referred for speed awareness courses in the most recent period for which figures are available; and how many people in Lancashire are due to take speed awareness courses.

Jim Fitzpatrick: This information is not held by the Department. The decision to offer a speed awareness course as an alternative to prosecution, is entirely a matter for the local police. The number of people referred for speed awareness courses or due to take them in Lancashire will therefore be a matter for the Lancashire police.

Trade Unions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what meetings she had with trade unions officials since 1 July 2007; on what dates; and with which trade unions.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Ministers meet many people as part of the process of policy development. It is not normal practice to disclose details of such meetings.

Transport: Coventry

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what grants her Department has provided for transport infrastructure in Coventry in the last 12 months; and what future such grants are planned to be made.

Rosie Winterton: The Department has provided local transport capital allocations for Coventry city council and the West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority for 2007-08 and has announced funding for 2008-09 to 2010-11, as shown in the following table.
	The seven West Midlands metropolitan district councils and the PTA are free to redistribute most of their funding allocations among themselves if they so decide.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Coventry CC—Highways Capital Maintenance 2.101 2.804 2.430 2.255 
			 Coventry CC—Major Projects (Primelines) 8.961 1.933 0 0 
			 Coventry CC—Integrated Transport 3.321 3.408 3.522 3.657 
			 WMPTA—Integrated Transport 21.280 21.514 21.831 22.218 
		
	
	A grant of £2.043 million has been allocated for 2008-09 to capital maintenance on the detrunked sections of the A45 in Coventry. About 18 per cent. of the specific road safety grant which totals between £4.4 million and £4.7 million per year between 2007-08 and 2010-11 across the West Midlands metropolitan area is for capital projects, that is for transport infrastructure.
	Additionally, the West Midlands urban traffic control system major scheme bid is currently being considered by the Department. The bid is still subject to final confirmation and approval, but should it be successful, a total of £26.6 million would be awarded covering the West Midlands Authorities.
	£64.3 million of private finance initiative credits for the 25 year Coventry street lighting project have been announced.
	In addition Coventry is benefiting from investment in strategic transport infrastructure including the west coast main line.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Departmental Data Protection

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality whether personal data for which the Government Equality Office are responsible are  (a) stored and  (b) processed overseas; and if she will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: The Government Equalities Office does not store or process any personal data overseas.

Discrimination

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what responsibility  (a) she and  (b) Ministers in other Departments have for policy on (i) racial, (ii) religious, (iii) disability and (iv) age discrimination.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 17 December 2007
	 I refer my hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement made by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 18 October 2007:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm071018/wmstext/71018m0001.htm#07101814000009.

Government Equalities Office

Philip Davies: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how much has been spent by the Government Equalities Office  (a) in total and  (b) on staff costs on promoting equality and diversity since it was established; and how many people are employed by the Office for this purpose.

Barbara Follett: The formation of the Government Equalities Office was announced on 26 July this year. In the 2007-08 financial year it, and its predecessor organisation, have spent £51.54 million in total to date.
	Of this amount, £48.63 million was used to fund the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the Women's National Commission and the former Commissions for Racial Equality and Equal Opportunity.
	As all of the work that the GEO does is concerned with promoting equality and diversity, all 61 of its permanent staff and six temporary staff are employed for this purpose.
	In the 2007-08 financial year the GEO staff costs amounted to £1.94 million from 1 April to 30 November. This figure excludes staff costs paid by the commissions aforementioned.
	The GEO currently has 61 permanent staff and six temporary staff in post. This excludes Private Office and the costs of legal staff working alongside the Office.
	Figures are rounded to the nearest £10,000. Full-year figures are included as normal accounting conventions require them to be accounted for on a full-year basis.

Polygamy

Theresa May: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what estimate she has made of the number of recognised legal polygamous marriages in the United Kingdom.

Barbara Follett: A formal estimate has not been made although it is generally thought there are fewer than 1,000 legally recognised polygamous marriages within the UK.

Single Equalities Bill

Mark Harper: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality when she expects to publish a draft of the Single Equalities Bill; and if she will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 15 January 2008
	 The Government have given a manifesto commitment to introduce a new Equality Act during the lifetime of this Parliament.

PRIME MINISTER

Members: Correspondence

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Prime Minister when he expects to reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Mid Sussex on 26 September 2007 and on 13 November 2007 about Lord Kinnock; and what the reason is for the time taken in replying.

Gordon Brown: My right hon. and noble Friend Lord Kinnock continues to be an excellent chairman of the British Council. Speeches made at the Labour Party conference are not a matter for the Government.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Databases

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what audits his Department and its agencies have carried out in relation to personal data and IT equipment in each of the last 10 years.

Shaun Woodward: The Northern Ireland Office has not performed any auditing of personal data in the last 10 years. In each of the last 10 years, my Department has maintained an asset register of IT equipment.
	Internal Audit has not carried out specific audits of IT equipment. It has carried out the following audits of asset management which includes IT equipment within the scope.
	NI Prison Service asset management audits in 2002-03 and in 2006-07
	NIO core Department, an asset management audit was carried out in 2000-01
	Audit logs of the following actions are maintained on our accredited systems.
	System File access
	Printing
	Internet Access
	Email
	User Accounts
	These audit logs are monitored on a weekly basis. However, this is one of the areas that will be investigated during the 2(nd) phase of the data handling procedures in Government review.

Departmental Pay

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2007,  Official Report, column 288W, on departmental pay, how many of those earning over £100,000 were employed  (a) as special advisers and  (b) in a political role in each year since 1997.

Shaun Woodward: Since 2003, the Government have published on an annual basis the number of special advisers in each pay band. For the most recent information, I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister on 22 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 147-51WS.
	Information on the number and cost of special advisers prior to 2003 was provided at regular intervals and this information will be available in the Library of the House.

Missing Persons

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons are registered as missing in Northern Ireland, broken down by  (a) age,  (b) sex and  (c) religion.

Paul Goggins: 68 persons were registered as missing in Northern Ireland as of early November 2007. Only a very small number of persons reported missing are not subsequently located.
	Missing persons are dealt with at district level and the breakdown by age, sex and religion requested could not be provided without conducting a full examination of the records of each district, which could be carried out only at disproportionate cost.

Rape

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many recorded rapes there were in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years, and what percentage of those recorded rapes led to a conviction in each of those years, broken down by Police Service of Northern Ireland District Command Units.

Paul Goggins: The Government is committed to improving the rates of successful prosecution in rape cases. Specialist police units, staffed by highly skilled and trained personnel, are dedicated to enhancing the service to victims of rape and sexual assault and both PSNI and the Public Prosecution Service are seeking to develop models of best investigative practice so that more offences can achieve the threshold for prosecution.
	The Northern Ireland Office and the Department of Health and Social and Personal Services have also jointly developed, and consulted on, a draft regional strategy for addressing sexual violence in Northern Ireland which will address these issues through a robust action plan delivering on strategic objectives in three key areas—crime prevention, better victim support and improved protection and justice measures. The strategy is to be published this spring.
	Table 1 shows the number of rapes (including attempts) recorded by PSNI from 2001-02 to 2006-07 by DCU. As the DCU structure was only introduced in 2001-02, it is not possible to provide a breakdown by DCU prior to this year.
	Table 2 shows the number of prosecutions, convictions and percentage conviction rate for rape by District Command Unit from 2000 to 2005 (the years for which figures are available).
	Data are collated on the basis of the principal offence; so only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
	It is not possible routinely to reconcile recorded crime data from PSNI with prosecution and conviction data. Data from PSNI relate to the number of offences, whereas data on prosecutions and convictions relate to the number of offenders brought before the courts. In addition, PSNI data denote each offence as it has been initially recorded, and this may differ from the offence for which a suspect or suspects are subsequently proceeded against in the courts. I therefore regret that a direct comparison between recorded rape and convictions for rape cannot easily be made.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of rapes (including attempts) recorded by PSNI from 2001-02 to 2006-07 by District Command Unit 
			  District Command Unit  Recorded 2001-02  Recorded 2002-03  Recorded 2003-04  Recorded 2004-05  Recorded 2005-06  Recorded 2006-07 
			 Antrim 8 8 10 7 17 16 
			 Ards 6 15 14 18 15 20 
			 East Belfast 14 12 12 17 15 21 
			 North Belfast 19 22 34 29 28 25 
			 South Belfast 28 25 32 22 31 39 
			 West Belfast 11 14 24 15 11 25 
			 Carrickfergus 1 3 6 6 4 8 
			 Castlereagh 13 9 7 3 7 8 
			 Down 8 17 11 9 18 15 
			 Lisburn 15 20 26 22 24 29 
			 Newtownabbey 8 11 10 19 20 20 
			 North Down 13 8 22 12 16 18 
			 Urban region 144 164 208 179 206 244 
			
			 Armagh 9 3 2 10 10 9 
			 Ballymena 8 19 20 18 17 13 
			 Ballymoney 0 5 5 4 3 1 
			 Banbridge 8 10 10 11 4 9 
			 Coleraine 9 18 16 10 15 18 
			 Cookstown 6 6 3 3 3 6 
			 Craigavon 20 18 19 18 20 17 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 8 7 6 8 6 12 
			 Fermanagh 4 7 9 8 10 15 
			 Foyle 32 44 35 44 36 40 
			 Larne 7 10 9 11 6 3 
			 Limavady 8 7 10 11 6 9 
			 Magherafelt 6 8 5 5 7 13 
			 Moyle 3 5 5 3 3 0 
			 Newry and Mourne 9 7 17 14 18 21 
			 Omagh 5 12 5 11 17 16 
			 Strabane 6 7 11 12 4 11 
			 Rural region 148 193 187 201 185 213 
			
			 Total 292 357 395 380 391 457 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Prosecutions, convictions and percentage conviction rate for rape by District Command Unit in the calendar years 2000- 0 5( 1) 
			  District Command Unit  2000  2001 
			   Prosecutions  Convictions  Percentage convictions  Prosecutions  Convictions  Percentage convictions 
			 Antrim 0 0 — 1 1 100 
			 Ards 0 0 — 1 0 0 
			 Armagh 0 0 — 0 0 — 
			 Banbridge 0 0 — 1 1 100 
			 Belfast East 1 0 0 2 1 50 
			 Belfast North 2 1 50 3 2 67 
			 Belfast South 1 1 100 1 1 100 
			 Belfast West 1 0 0 0 0 — 
			 Ballymena 0 0 — 1 0 0 
			 Ballymoney 0 0 — 0 0 — 
			 Carrickfergus 0 0 — 0 0 — 
			 Coleraine 1 0 0 1 1 100 
			 Cookstown 1 0 0 1 1 100 
			 Craigavon 1 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Castlereagh 1 1 100 0 0 — 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 0 0 — 2 0 0 
			 Down 1 1 100 0 0 — 
			 Fermanagh 0 0 — 0 0 — 
			 Foyle 0 0 — 3 0 0 
			 Larne 3 1 33 0 0 — 
			 Limavady 1 0 0 0 0 — 
			 Lisburn 1 1 100 1 0 0 
			 Magherafelt 1 0 0 0 0 — 
			 Moyle 0 0 — 0 0 — 
			 Newtownabbey 1 1 100 2 0 0 
			 North Down 0 0 — 1 0 0 
			 Newry and Mourne 3 0 0 2 1 50 
			 Omagh 0 0 — 0 0 — 
			 Strabane 0 0 — 4 3 75 
			 Missing 0 0 — 0 0 — 
			 Total 20 7 35 28 12 43 
		
	
	
		
			  District Command Unit  2002  2003 
			   Prosecutions  Convictions  Percentage convictions  Prosecutions  Convictions  Percentage convictions 
			 Antrim 1 0 0 0 0 — 
			 Ards 1 0 0 2 1 50 
			 Armagh 1 0 0 0 0 — 
			 Banbridge 0 0 — 0 0 — 
			 Belfast East 3 1 33 0 0 — 
			 Belfast North 4 3 75 1 0 0 
			 Belfast South 3 2 67 4 1 25 
			 Belfast West 0 0 — 1 1 100 
			 Ballymena 0 0 — 1 0 0 
			 Ballymoney 0 0 — 0 0 — 
			 Carrickfergus 0 0 — 0 0 — 
			 Coleraine 0 0 — 2 1 50 
			 Cookstown 0 0 — 2 0 0 
			 Craigavon 0 0 — 0 0 — 
			 Castlereagh 0 0 — 1 0 0 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 0 0 — 1 0 0 
			 Down 1 1 100 1 0 0 
			 Fermanagh 0 0 — 2 0 0 
			 Foyle 2 1 50 1 1 100 
			 Larne 0 0 — 1 0 0 
			 Limavady 0 0 — 0 0 — 
			 Lisburn 0 0 — 2 1 50 
			 Magherafelt 0 0 — 0 0 — 
			 Moyle 2 0 0 0 0 — 
			 Newtownabbey 0 0 — 1 1 100 
			 North Down 1 o 0 1 0 0 
			 Newry and Mourne 3 0 0 0 0 — 
			 Omagh 0 0 — 1 0 0 
			 Strabane 1 0 0 1 1 100 
			 Missing 2 0 0 0 0 — 
			 Total 25 8 32 26 8 31 
		
	
	
		
			  District Command Unit  2004  2005 
			   Prosecutions  Convictions  Percentage Convictions  Prosecutions  Convictions  Percentage convictions 
			 Antrim 2 2 100 1 0 0 
			 Ards 2 1 50 0 0 — 
			 Armagh 0 0 — 2 0 0 
			 Banbridge 1 0 0 0 0 — 
			 Belfast East 0 0 — 0 0 — 
			 Belfast North 3 0 0 0 0 — 
			 Belfast South 4 3 75 1 1 100 
			 Belfast West 1 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Ballymena 2 1 50 2 1 50 
			 Ballymoney 0 0 — 0 0 — 
			 Carrickfergus 0 0 — 1 0 0 
			 Coleraine 2 2 100 0 0 — 
			 Cookstown 0 0 — 0 0 — 
			 Craigavon 1 1 100 2 0 0 
			 Castlereagh 0 0 — 1 0 0 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 0 0 — 0 0 — 
			 Down 0 0 — 0 0 — 
			 Fermanagh 0 0 — 0 0 — 
			 Foyle 4 4 100 1 0 0 
			 Larne 0 0 — 1 0 0 
			 Limavady 0 0 — 0 0 — 
			 Lisburn 1 0 0 2 0 0 
			 Magherafelt 1 0 0 0 0 — 
			 Moyle 0 0 — 0 0 — 
			 Newtownabbey 1 1 100 3 1 33 
			 North Down 0 0 — 1 0 0 
			 Newry and Mourne 0 0 — 1 0 0 
			 Omagh 1 0 0 0 0 — 
			 Strabane 1 0 0 1 1 100 
			 Missing 2 0 0 0 0 — 
			 Total 29 15 52 21 4 19 
			 (1) Missing data relate to those offenders for whom DCU information is not available.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Archaeology: Finance

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the likely impact of Comprehensive Spending Review settlement on the portable antiquities scheme.

James Purnell: holding answer 7 January 2008
	The portable antiquities scheme (PAS) is funded by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and so any decisions on its future funding are a matter for the MLA. The MLA has already committed to maintain current levels of support for the scheme for 2008-09. Since the 2004 Spending Review, the Department's funding allocation to the MLA has not included ring-fencing for the PAS.

Arts Council of England: Grants

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the timetable is for finalising Arts Council England funding proposals to arts organisations, with particular reference to regional theatres.

James Purnell: holding answer 16 January 2008
	The Arts Council operates at arm's length from the Government and decisions about which arts organisations to fund are entirely for them.
	Arts Council England gave arts organisations (including regional theatres) who have been notified of a proposal not to renew or to reduce their funding, until 15 January to respond. Regional councils will meet on the following dates to finalise proposals ahead of ratification by Arts Council England National Council on 29 January:
	
		
			  Date  Region 
			 15 January Yorkshire 
			 21 January North East 
			 25 January North West 
			 23 January East 
			 24 January East Midlands 
			 23 January West Midlands 
			 24 January London 
			 24 January South East 
			 21 January South West

Arts: Cumbria

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effects on the cultural and creative sectors in Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency of the decision of the Northern Rock Foundation to cease co-funding of arts and heritage projects in partnership with Government agencies from 2008-09.

Margaret Hodge: The closure of any charitable grant programme is clearly regrettable. Funding for individual arts organisations is a matter for Arts Council England. They are aware of the potential impact and are in discussion with partners and arts organisations in the area.

Big Lottery Fund: Grants

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what projects were awarded money by the Big Lottery Fund in Wirral South in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The list of projects awarded money by the Big Lottery Fund in Wirral South in each of the last five years is as follows:
	 2003-04
	Metropolitan Borough of Wirral
	Irby Golf Club Junior Section
	Cheshire Wildlife Trust—Wirral Wildlife
	Belvidere Centre/Wallasey Spastics and Physical Handicapped Association
	Metropolitan Borough of Wirral
	Barnstondale Centre
	25(th) Birkenhead Scout Group
	Bebington Citizens Advice Bureau Limited
	The Lyndale School
	Caldy Mini Rugby Club
	Bebington Centre for Voluntary Service
	Heygarth Primary School
	Birkenhead Phab Club
	 2004-05
	Heroes Return (19 awards)
	The Merchant Navy—Wirral Branch
	Stick n Step
	Bebington 2(nd) Scouts
	Dusted
	Thornton Hough Women's Institute
	Merseyside Squash Rackets Association
	Bebington High Sports College (Wirral LEA)
	Claire House Children's Hospice
	Stanton Estate Residents Association
	Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities
	Team Wirral Tracs
	Upton By Chester and District Parish Council
	The Cheshire Regiment Association Birkenhead and District Branch
	 2005-06
	Heroes Return (five awards)
	Foxfield School Parent Teachers Association
	Stick n Step
	Royal British Legion Port Sunlight Branch
	Wirral Urban Farm Association
	Liverpool Victoria Rowing Club
	Thornton Hough Women's Institute
	Royal British Legion West Cheshire and District
	Bromborough U3A
	Higher Bebington Royal British Legion Social Club Limited
	Bebington Road Allotment Society
	Royal British Legion (Willaston-in-Wirral Branch)
	The Pensby and Kylemore Community Centres Association
	Thornton Hough Village Hall
	Bebington Citizens Advice Bureau Limited
	Royal Engineers Association Birkenhead Branch
	West Kirby Lions Club
	Merseyside Asylum Seekers and Refuges Pre and Post Natal Support Group
	The Bidston Preservation Trust
	Crossroads in Wirral, Caring for Carers Ltd
	Eastham Blades Junior Football Club
	Nothing Rhymes with Poets
	Caldy Mini Rugby Club
	Bebington University of the Third Age
	Royal Engineers Association Chester Branch
	Wirral Pathfinders
	 2006-07
	The Heswall Society
	The Friends of Flaybrick Society
	Meadowside School
	Eastham Women's Institute
	Bebington Day Centre Club
	Royal Army Ordnance Corps Association (Merseyside Branch)
	Wirral Sapphires Majorette Troupe
	South Wirral High School
	Clare Mount School
	Bebington High Sports College SSCO
	 2007-08
	Wirral Urban Farm Association
	10(th) Birkenhead Scout Group
	Mersey Basin Business Foundation
	Friends of Dibbinsdale Local Nature Reserve
	Weatherhead High School Media Arts College
	Bebington Road Allotment Society
	Millfields Primary School
	Kings Regiment Association Liverpool
	Stanton Road Primary School
	Ellesmere Port Panthers Basketball Club
	Port Sunlight Rugby Football Club Limited

Big Lottery Fund: Public Participation

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people voted for each project competing in the Big Lottery Fund People's £50 million Lottery contest.

Gerry Sutcliffe: A break down of votes registered for each project competing in the Big Lottery Fund People's £50 million Lottery contest is listed in the following table:
	
		
			  Project  Number of votes  Percentage of total vote 
			 Eden Project: The Edge 34,559 12.07 
			 Sustrans' Connect2 119,348 41.69 
			 Sherwood: The Living Legend 48,822 17.05 
			 Black Country Urban Park 83,556 29.19

Corporate hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on how many occasions he has accepted corporate hospitality in the last 12 months.

Margaret Hodge: Chapter 7 of the Ministerial Code sets out the rules on the registration of hospitality.

Departmental Recycling

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what weight of paper his Department recycled in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department does not hold records for the last five years.
	The Department introduced a new waste management system at its Cockspur street offices in January 2007.
	The weight of recycled paper in 2007 was 52.24 tonnes.

National Lottery

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will assess the appropriateness of deciding the allocation of lottery funding according to the results of telephone and e-mail votes.

Gerry Sutcliffe: People who play the lottery deserve to have a greater say in how lottery money is used. Telephone and e-mail voting is only one of the many ways that people are able to become involved in deciding where local lottery money is spent.
	Not all lottery grants will be decided in this way, but is important that people have a genuine opportunity to influence where local lottery funding goes.
	Lottery distributors are working together to identify best practice and to develop options for increasing public involvement in decisions about lottery funding themes and local lottery spending.

Olympic Games 2012

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what he expects as the sporting legacy of the 2012 Olympics to be for Northern Ireland.

James Purnell: Sports policy in Northern Ireland, including the sporting legacy of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games, is a devolved matter, and is the responsibility of the Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure. His officials participate fully in the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic games (LOCOG) Nations and Regions Group and all other associated steering groups.

Sports: Databases

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total cost to public funds was of the Active Places database in each year for which figures are available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The initial costs for Active Places for the first three years between 2004 and 2007 was £5.2 million. The budget for the current financial year 2007-08 is £1.1 million which is spent on data maintenance, data acquisition, systems development and hosting.

Sports: Databases

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the percentage of all UK sports facilities that are currently on the Active Places database; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Unfortunately it is not possible to estimate the percentage of UK sports facilities on Active Places, as it is only applicable to England. The database currently holds information on 11 sport facility types. Sport England estimates that over 80 per cent. of formal sport in England takes places on these types of facilities and that Active Places database includes over 90 per cent. of these facilities. The Sports Council for Northern Ireland has developed its own version of Active Places and the Sports Council for Wales is currently developing a version as well.

Tourism: Cleethorpes

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) UK and  (b) overseas tourists visiting Cleethorpes in each of the last five years.

Margaret Hodge: The tables show  (a) the number of domestic overnight trips to the Yorkshire region and  (b) the number of overseas visits to the Northern Lincolnshire region for the latest years for which data is available.
	Information on visits at constituency or ward level by domestic and foreign tourists is not available.
	
		
			  Domestic overnight trips by UK residents( 1) 
			   Yorkshire( 2)  (million) 
			 2002 12.2 
			 2003 13.1 
			 2004 10.0 
			 2005 11.9 
			 2006 10.1 
			 (1) The methodology for the UKTS changed in 2005 meaning that comparisons with previous years should be treated with caution. This change occurred as a result of concerns with the quality of 2004 data, which is thought to be an under-representation of the true position. (2) North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston-upon Hull, North Lincolnshire and North-East Lincolnshire.  Source: UK Tourism Survey (National Tourist Boards) 
		
	
	
		
			  Overseas visits 
			   Northern Lincolnshire (thousand) 
			 2002 40 
			 2003 30 
			 2004 30 
			 2005 30 
			 2006 50 
			  Source: International Passenger Survey (ONS) 
		
	
	It is not possible to provide a time series for the number of day visits by UK residents there were to Cleethorpes (or the surrounding region) as the survey is run intermittently.

Tourism: Cleethorpes

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the average expenditure per head of tourists visiting Cleethorpes in each of the last five years.

Margaret Hodge: The tables show  (a) the average expenditure per visit for overnight trips by UK residents to the Yorkshire region and  (b) the average expenditure per visit for visits by non UK residents to the Northern Lincolnshire region for the latest years for which data is available.
	Information on visits at constituency or ward level by domestic and foreign tourists is not available.
	
		
			  Average expenditure per visit( 1)  of domestic overnight tourists( 2) 
			  £ 
			   Yorkshire( 3) 
			 2002 131 
			 2003 147 
			 2004 158 
			 2005 142 
			 2006 139 
			 (1) Expenditure includes items such as package holidays, accommodation, travel to and from the destination and during the trip, services and advice, buying clothes, eating and drinking out, shopping, entertainment and other items relating to the trip. (2) The methodology for the UKTS changed in 2005 meaning that comparisons with previous years should be treated with caution. This change occurred as a result of concerns with the quality of 2004 data, which is thought to be an under-representation of the true position. (3) North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston-upon Hull, North Lincolnshire and North-East Lincolnshire.  Source: UK Tourism Survey (National Tourist Boards) 
		
	
	
		
			  Average expenditure( 1)  per visit by overseas residents 
			  £ 
			   Northern Lincolnshire( 2) 
			 2002 250 
			 2003 333 
			 2004 267 
			 2005 333 
			 2006 240 
			 (1) Expenditure excludes fares for travel to and from the UK. (2) Figures are based on small sample sizes and as such should be treated with extreme caution, and used solely as an indicative estimate.  Source: International Passenger Survey (ONS)

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Allotments

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government is taking to increase the availability of allotments.

Iain Wright: The provision of allotments is the responsibility of local authorities. The Smallholdings and Allotments Act 1908 places a duty on local authorities to provide allotments where they perceive demand for them in their area.
	Planning Policy Guidance Note 17 (Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation) requires local authorities to assess the needs of their communities for a range of open spaces, and to address any identified deficiencies. It also suggests that authorities should allocate sites within their plans for the provision of new open spaces.
	To further support local authorities, we are currently revising the good practice guide for the management of allotments in conjunction with the Local Government Association.

Arm's Length Management Organisations

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether under Clause 225, sub section (2) of the Housing and Regeneration Bill a specified person to whom management functions of a registered provider may be transferred could be an arm's length management organisation.

Iain Wright: I can confirm that the new management transfer power proposed for the social housing regulator OFTENANT at clause 225 of the Housing and Regeneration Bill permits the regulator to transfer management functions of social housing owned by a registered provider to any other specified person (that is, any organisation). This includes arm's length management organisations.
	Clause 225 is a new power recommended by the Cave Review of social housing regulation. It gives OFTENANT the power to address systematically poor management without transferring ownership of the assets. The power could be used in respect of all a provider's homes or a proportion of them, so it could be used to address issues on a specific estate. The owner of the homes would be subject to the regulatory regime and would ensure the managing agent met any relevant standards. This power could only be exercised following an inquiry under clauses 183 to 186 and is subject to appeal to the High Court.
	Similarly, if OFTENANT directed the registered provider to put social housing management functions out to competitive tender, under clause 223, an arm's length management organisation could tender for the work and be selected as manager.

Cheshire County Council; Reorganisation

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate of the cost of the re-organisation of Cheshire County Council has been made by her Department; and if she will publish the information on which this estimate is based.

John Healey: The Secretary of State has assessed the financial estimates made by Cheshire county council and certain Cheshire district councils in connection with their proposals for the creation of unitary authorities in Cheshire. Those estimates were made public by the councils on their websites.

Community Centres: Closures

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) village halls and  (b) community centres closed permanently in each of the last 10 years.

John Healey: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Community Relations: Emergency Services

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether consideration has been given to establishing wardens to co-ordinate between local communities and the emergency services in the event of a civil disaster.

Gillian Merron: I have been asked to reply.
	The Civil Contingencies Act (2004) requires frontline responders (eg the emergency services, Environment Agency and local authorities) to ensure effective arrangements are in place to protect their communities in an emergency, which includes how best to involve their communities to meet the needs of the local area.

Departmental Marketing

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many posters or displays there are in the offices of her Department and its agencies displaying the names and photographs of Ministers; and what the cost has been of producing such posters or displays in the last five years.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department for Communities and Local Government has spent £5,402 plus VAT on display boards which show the names and photographs of Ministers in the foyers of the Department's two main central London buildings.
	Information for our agencies is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Home Information Packs

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether  (a) the authorised or  (b) required elements of a home information pack will inform buyers of the potential impact of underground works, such as the new Crossrail development.

Yvette Cooper: Information on proposed railway or road schemes, which may involve underground works, forms part of the property search dealing with inquiries made of local authorities. This search is a required element of the home information pack.

Home Information Packs

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment she has made of the effect on the housing market of the introduction of home information packs.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the home information packs update written ministerial statement made on 22 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 140-42WS.

Home Information Packs

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the potential use of home information packs to be made by lawyers in the conveyancing process.

Yvette Cooper: The home information pack (HIP) includes evidence of title and standard local searches. Providing it in a HIP will mean this information will be available for lawyers at the start of the conveyancing process. Many solicitors have also become pack providers.

Home Information Packs

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether  (a) the authorised and  (b) required elements of a home information pack will inform buyers of the potential impact of underground works.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today (PQ 173289).

Home Information Packs

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which three mortgage lenders from the top 30 do not accept personal searches in a home information pack.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is contained in the Council of Mortgage Lenders Handbook which sets out individual lenders' policies on acceptance of personal searches.

Home Information Packs: Pilot Schemes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  whether the full conclusions of each geographic dry run for home information packs will be published  (a) by the end of 2007 and  (b) before home information packs are extended to one or two bedroomed homes;
	(2)  whether IPSO-MORI have concluded their work on the home information pack dry-run and pilot research.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the home information packs update written ministerial statement made on 22 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 140-42WS.
	IPSOS-MORI is still in the process of finalising its conclusions and a copy of the research report will be placed in the House Library once the project has been finalised.

Home Information Packs: Pilot Schemes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in what locations home information pack pilots and dry-runs took place; and over which periods of time in each case.

Yvette Cooper: The Department's area trials began in Bath, Newcastle, Southampton, Northampton, Huddersfield and Cambridge from 6 November 2006 with trials in the London borough of Southwark and North West Wales commencing on 12 February 2007. The final phase, including processing the information and drawing conclusions is still being finalised by IPSOS-MORI.

Home Information Packs: Pilot Schemes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  whether the full conclusions of each geographic dry run for home information packs will be published  (a) by the end of 2007 and  (b) before home information packs are extended to one or two bedroom homes;
	(2)  whether IPSO-MORI have concluded their work on the Home Information Pack dry-run and pilot research;
	(3)  what the timetable is for the publication of the results of the pilot studies from the Home Information Pack dry run.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the home information packs update written ministerial statement made on 22 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 140-42WS.
	IPSOS-MORI is still in the process of finalising its conclusions and a copy of the research report will be placed in the Library of the House once the project has been finalised.

Homes and Communities Agency

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers the Homes and Communities Agency will have in relation to the provisions of  (a) regional spatial strategies,  (b) local authority local development frameworks and  (c) the Mayor of London's spatial plan for the purposes of development under its oversight.

Yvette Cooper: The Housing and Regeneration Bill makes provision for the Homes and Communities Agency to have a role in relation to regional spatial strategies and local development frameworks in specified circumstances.
	Clause 18 of the Bill adds the Homes and Communities Agency to section 4 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 so that if the Homes and Communities Agency has been made the local planning authority for any area that falls within the responsibility of the Regional Planning Board (for example as English Partnership has in Milton Keynes), the Regional Planning Board must seek the agency's advice when revising the regional spatial strategy, or when reviewing and monitoring its implementation.
	Clause 13 of the Bill gives the Secretary of State the power to designate an area and in doing so may confer specified planning functions upon the Homes and Communities Agency. The functions which may be conferred upon the Agency are set out in clause 14 and include powers in relation to the production and maintenance of local development documents. The Agency will not have any powers in relation to local development frameworks at the outset and are only likely to be conferred in exceptional circumstances.
	The Agency has been given no specific powers in relation to the Mayor of London's spatial plan, nor does the Bill make provision to confer planning functions on the Agency in relation to that plan where an area within Greater London is designated under clause 13.

Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many domestic dwellings are on the valuation list in England.

John Healey: The number is 22,418,512 as at 5 November 2007.

Housing Data Domain Group

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 16 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1035W, on the Housing Data Domain Group, if she will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the meeting of the Neighbourhood Statistics: Housing Data Domain Group of 2 October 2006.

Iain Wright: The minutes of the Neighbourhood Statistics Housing Data Domain Group meeting of the 2 October 2006 have been placed in the Library of the House.

Housing: Carbon Emissions

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she plans to take to minimise the increased greenhouse emissions that will arise from the implementation of the new housing programme proposed to be taken forward under provisions within the Housing and Regeneration Bill.

Yvette Cooper: We have committed to an ambitious timetable for improvements to the carbon standard of new homes so that from 2016 all new homes will be zero carbon. In 2010 and 2013 we will improve the carbon standard as set out in building regulations by 25 per cent. and 44 per cent. respectively, compared to current building regulations.
	We have also made the commitment that all new homes developed by English Partnerships or with direct funding from the Government's housing growth programmes are now being built to level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. Additionally, Housing Corporation funded homes built by registered social landlords will, from the start of the next national Affordable Housing programme (beginning April 2008) comply with level 3 of the Code. As well as producing 25 per cent. less carbon than homes built to current building regulations, these homes will also be designed to minimise their environmental impact outside of carbon emissions in areas such as the water they use, the waste they generate and the materials that they are built from.
	Furthermore, the industry, together with local authorities and other stakeholders have been invited to come forward with proposals for eco-towns. Eco-towns will be entirely new settlements which are exemplar "green developments" of 5,000 to 20,000 homes and designed to meet the highest standards of sustainability. The development as a whole (including all homes) should reach zero carbon and should use the standards set out in the Code for Sustainable Homes as a guide.

Housing: Carbon Emissions

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what records her Department keeps of the number and location of zero carbon homes.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 24 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1904W.

Housing: Elderly

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will bring forward proposals to amend Article Six of Annex A to Planning Policy Statement 7 to enable the provision of retirement dwellings for farmers in rural areas.

Iain Wright: holding answer 15 January 2008
	 The Government have no plans to amend paragraph 6 of annex A of Planning Policy Statement 7, which deals with the circumstances in which agricultural needs may justify the provision of new dwellings in isolated locations.
	Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3) highlights the need for local authorities to plan for the provision of market and affordable housing in rural areas that contributes to the creation and maintenance of sustainable rural communities in market towns and villages. PPS3 also sets out how local authorities in rural areas could use the rural exception site policy to deliver solely affordable housing on sites which would not normally be used for housing, and for that housing to be kept as affordable in perpetuity.

Housing: Energy

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many energy performance certificates have been logged on the Energy Performance Certificate database.

Yvette Cooper: The number of energy performance certificates which have been logged on the database up to 2 January 2008 is 257,820.

Housing: Floods

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on which of the flood plain areas identified by the Environment Agency in the South East she expects housing to be built in the next 10 years.

Yvette Cooper: The Government's policy set out in Planning Policy Statement 25 (PPS25) is to strengthen protection against flooding.
	It will be for local planning authorities to determine applications for housing development in their areas. Decisions should be made in light of the policies in their local development frameworks, supported by strategic flood risk assessments prepared in consultation with the Environment Agency, and in accord with the principles of PPS25.

Housing: Inspections

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of  (a) home inspectors and  (b) domestic energy assessors required under the roll-out of home information packs; and how this estimate was calculated.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the home information packs update written ministerial statement made on 22 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 140-42WS.

Housing: Low Incomes

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment she has made of the availability of housing provided through Government funded schemes for  (a) nurses,  (b) teachers,  (c) police officers,  (d) firefighters and  (e) paramedics in (i) East Worthing and Shoreham and (ii) West Sussex.

Yvette Cooper: Key workers have priority access to all of the Government's low cost home ownership products.
	In June 2007, we published the Housing Green Paper: "Homes for the future: more affordable, more sustainable" in which I announced £8 billion for affordable housing during the comprehensive spending review period. This represents a 38 per cent. increase on current spending. The funding will enable us to deliver 70,000 more affordable homes by 2010. We are also committed to providing 45,000 new affordable homes for rent by 2010-11 (a 50 per cent. increase) and 25,000 shared ownership and shared equity homes a year funded by the Housing Corporation. In addition, we will look to support additional shared ownership homes through public sector land and local housing companies.

Housing: Low Incomes

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent on the advertising, promotion and marketing of the Key Worker Living Scheme in  (a) East Worthing and Shoreham and  (b) West Sussex in each year since its inception.

Yvette Cooper: We do not centrally hold on this data on how much was spent on the advertising, promotion and marketing of the Key Worker Living programme. HomeBuy Agents are responsible for the marketing of low cost home ownership schemes, including the Key Worker Living programme.

Housing: Low Incomes

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the likely effect on provision of low-cost residential housing in each London constituency of home information packs for one and two bedroomed homes; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement 'Home Information Packs' made on 22 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 140-42WS.

Housing: Low Incomes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) housing associations and  (b) councils offer the Social Homebuy Scheme to their social tenants.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 29 October 2007,  Official Report, column 665W.

Housing: Torbay

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the reasons were for the 100 per cent. increase in housing development expected in Torbay proposed by her appointed panel in the South West Regional Spatial Strategy; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: The Panel's reasons for their recommended increase are set on page 118-119 of the report. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is currently considering all the recommendations made by the Panel and she is planning to publish her proposed changes to the draft regional spatial strategy in the spring. No conclusions have yet been reached on any of the Panel's recommendations.

Land: Contamination

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what involvement  (a) she,  (b) other Ministers in her Department and  (c) officials of her Department have with the Urban Regeneration and the Environment programme run by the Natural Environment Research Council; and what account has been taken of that programme in the programme of clean-up of contaminated sites being remediated for development.

Iain Wright: The Chief Scientific Adviser of the Department worked with the co-ordinator of the NERC Urgent programme and the head of research and analysis of the Local Government Association to produce a four-page glossy digest of key findings of Urgent—distilled from 31 scientific papers—prepared explicitly for the heads of environment, parks and engineering at every local authority. The publication can be found on the NERC website at:
	http://www.nerc.ac.uk/publications/other/documents/urgent.pdf.
	The chief scientific adviser of the Department and the head of analysis at the Local Government Association hope to be able to repeat this exercise for the current Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council programme on the sustainable urban environment.
	The Local Authority Research Council Initiative has been relaunched with CLG as a member, and a project of work, led by the chief scientific adviser of CLG, is being developed that will enable members of local authorities to become more sophisticated in articulating the research agenda they would like to see undertaken in universities rather than just receiving what comes out from work that the universities decide to undertake.
	The Department sets out national planning policy for England for development on land affected by contamination in Planning Policy Statement 23: Planning and Pollution Control and its Annex 2: Development on Land Affected by Contamination. They can be found on the Department's website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/planning/planningpolicyguidance/planningpolicystatements/planningpolicystatements/pps23/.

Local Authorities: Rodents

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities and registered social landlords on dealing with mice and rat infestations in residential properties.

Iain Wright: Infestations from mice, rats and other vermin are hazards covered by the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) which came into force in April 2006, This replaced the fitness standard as the regime governing the statutory minimum standards for housing.
	In February 2006 the Department published the documents "Housing Health and Safety Rating System: Operating Guidance, Housing Health and Safety Rating System: Enforcement Guidance" and "Housing Health and Safety Rating System: Guidance for landlords and property related professionals".

Local Government Finance: Leisure

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities applied for funding from her Department to help fund local leisure facilities in each of the last five years.

Parmjit Dhanda: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Local Government: Reorganisation

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what criteria govern the re-organisation of local government; when they were established; and what changes there have been to them since December 2007.

John Healey: The criteria against which the Secretary of State considered proposals for unitary status, were published in the "Invitation to councils in England: to make proposals for future unitary structures", published in October 2006. These criteria have not changed since then.

Planning Permission

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment  (a) she and  (b) her agencies have made of the effect of requiring planning permission for second homes on house prices.

Iain Wright: None.

Planning Permission: Biofuels

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what planning applications for biodiesel production plants have been referred to planning inspectors in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: The following table shows the number of planning appeals decided by planning inspectors during the last five financial years which involve biodiesel or biomass plants.
	
		
			   Appeals decided  Number allowed  Percentage allowed 
			 2003-04 3 3 100 
			 2004-05 0 0 — 
			 2005-06 2 1 50 
			 2006-07 0 0 — 
			 2007-08 (to date) 3 2 67

Recycling: Christmas

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of local authorities providing recycling services for  (a) Christmas trees and  (b) Christmas cards.

Joan Ruddock: I have been asked to reply.
	Christmas trees are recycled through a number of routes. Both local authorities and businesses offer facilities where individuals can deposit their Christmas trees. Many local authorities offer either specific collection points or operate a green waste collection following Christmas and collect trees through this route, but my Department does not hold details of the exact number doing so.
	205 local authorities in England collect cards at the kerbside as part of their dry recycling collection scheme. The Woodland Trust also promotes a dedicated Christmas cards collection scheme in association with WHSmith, Tesco, TK Maxx and Marks and Spencer. Last year, 93 million cards were collected through the Woodland Trust scheme, saving 2,400 tonnes of CO2. This is equivalent to taking over 700 cars off the road for a year.

Regional Government: Ministers

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will list the constituencies visited by the Minister for  (a) the North East,  (b) the North West,  (c) Yorkshire and the Humber,  (d) London,  (e) the South East,  (f) the South West,  (g) the East Midlands,  (h) the West Midlands and  (i) the East of England in their capacity as regional Ministers.  [Official Report, 31 March 2008, Vol. 474, c. 5MC.]

Hazel Blears: In their capacity as regional Minister, the Minister for the region has visited or attended meetings in the following constituencies. Due to the role of regional Minister, which involves regional or sub-regional meetings, the Minister may not have visited a constituency per se, but attended a meeting held in that area.
	 (a) North East
	Blaydon
	Blyth Valley
	City of Durham
	Easington
	Hexham
	Houghton and Washington East
	Jarrow
	Middlesbrough
	Newcastle Central
	Newcastle East and Wallsend
	Newcastle upon Tyne North
	North Durham
	North Tyneside
	Redcar
	Stockton North
	Stockton South
	Sunderland North
	Sunderland South
	Tyne Bridge
	Wansbeck.
	 (b) North West
	Blackburn
	Bolton South East
	Bootle
	Burnley
	Ellesmere Port and Neston
	Knowsley South
	Liverpool Riverside
	Liverpool Walton
	Liverpool West Derby
	Manchester Central
	Penrith & The Border
	Preston
	Salford
	St Helens North
	Warrington South
	Westmorland and Lonsdale.
	 (c) Yorkshire and the Humber
	Barnsley Central
	Bradford West
	Don Valley
	Doncaster Central
	Doncaster North
	Hull North
	Hull West and Hessle
	Leeds Central
	Ryedale
	Scarborough and Whitby
	Wakefield.
	 (d) London
	Cities of London and Westminster
	Hammersmith and Fulham
	North Southwark and Bermondsey
	West Ham.
	 (e) South East
	Aylesbury
	Buckingham
	Guildford
	Dover
	Folkstone & Hythe
	Hastings & Rye
	Lewes
	Maidstone & the Weald
	Mole Valley
	New Forest West
	Portsmouth South
	Reading East
	Reading West
	Thanet South
	Tonbridge & Malling
	Winchester.
	 (f) South West
	Bournemouth East
	Bournemouth West
	Bristol East
	Bristol NW
	Bristol West
	Cheltenham
	Exeter
	Gloucester
	Kingswood
	Mid Dorset & North Poole
	Plymouth Devonport
	Poole
	Swindon North
	Swindon South
	Taunton
	Tewkesbury
	Truro & St Austell
	Wells.
	 (g) East Midlands
	Boston and Skegness
	Corby
	Derby South
	Grantham & Stamford
	Kettering
	Leicester East
	Leicester South
	Leicester West
	Lincoln
	Louth and Horncastle
	Newark
	North West Leicestershire
	Northampton South
	Nottingham East
	Nottingham South
	Rushcliffe
	Sherwood.
	 (h) West Midlands
	Birmingham Ladywood
	Birmingham Northfield
	Bromyard
	Coventry North East
	Coventry South
	Ludlow
	Newcastle-Under-Lyme
	North Warwickshire.
	Stoke-on-Trent Central
	Stratford-on-Avon
	Telford
	West Bromwich East
	West Worcestershire
	Wolverhampton South West.
	 (i) East of England
	Bury St Edmunds
	Cambridge
	Great Yarmouth
	Ipswich
	Norwich South
	Peterborough
	Poplar & Canning Town
	South Cambridgeshire
	Stevenage
	Waveney
	West Suffolk.

Regional Planning and Development

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the estimated date is by which every local planning authority in England will have completed its local development framework.

Iain Wright: The work programmes for local planning authorities (called local development schemes) are drawn up by the authorities themselves and cleared by regional government offices. Each is different: each is intended to be tailored to the individual needs of the area. Every LDF includes a core strategy as the key overarching document but other plans vary according to circumstances. Projections are not easy to make with total accuracy but I currently expect over 90 per cent. of core strategies to be adopted by March 2011, 99 per cent. by March 2012 and 100 per cent. by March 2013.

Sustainable Development: Northstowe

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons Northstowe was not adopted as an eco-town.

Yvette Cooper: The proposal for a new settlement at Northstowe was put forward by local authorities in Cambridgeshire (Cambridgeshire county council, South Cambridgeshire district council and Cambridge city council) and adopted in the Cambridgeshire structure plan in 2003, and taken forward in 2006 through the South Cambridgeshire Core Strategy and an area action plan all of which predate the eco-towns programme. I understand that a planning application, being taken forward by English Partnerships and Gallaghers, who jointly own most of the area for development is expected shortly. The ambition is for Northstowe to be an early prototype for eco-towns including being an exemplar of sustainability in the use of renewable energy resources and reducing carbon emissions.

Urban Areas: Carbon Emissions

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has for eco-pubs and eco-clubs to operate in eco-towns.

Yvette Cooper: The Eco-towns Prospectus published in July 2007 sets out the vision for these new settlements, which must include a good range of facilities and services for their communities. The specific facilities such as pubs and clubs will be a matter for the promoters of schemes to determine but it is a key objective of the scheme that the development as a whole should achieve zero carbon. The Government expect eco-towns to lead the way in design and sustainability of the town and its buildings, leisure and commercial as well as housing, and have announced a competition to encourage the best design for all aspects of the new eco-towns.

Urban Areas: Sustainable Development

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the implications for infrastructure provision of each eco-town proposal.

Yvette Cooper: We are currently undertaking a cross-Government review of the eco-towns expressions of interest and expect publish proposals in the spring. As part of the review, we are assessing proposals against the criteria set out in the Eco-town prospectus, and this includes transport, land use and the infrastructure needed to make the development deliverable and sustainable.

Urban Areas: Sustainable Development

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes have been proposed in each eco-town proposal.

Yvette Cooper: We have received over 50 expressions of interest for eco-towns. The housing provision in each proposal is indicative at this stage, but ranges between 5-20,000 in most proposals, which is in line with the eco-town criteria.

Urban Areas: Sustainable Development

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the balance between the use of greenfield and brownfield land in each eco-town proposal.

Yvette Cooper: We are currently undertaking a cross-government review of the eco-towns expressions of interest and expect to publish proposals in the spring. There have been over 50 expressions of interest including both green and brown field land, including using surplus public land like disused barracks.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

ACP Countries: EU External Trade

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make representations to the EU for alternatives to be offered to African, Caribbean and Pacific countries unable to conclude European partnership agreements by 31 December 2007.

Gareth Thomas: 35 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries signed an Economic Partnership Agreement before the end of 2007 deadline. A further 32 least developed countries (LDCs) have chosen to trade under the Everything But Arms initiative, benefiting from duty free quota free access into European Union markets. The remaining 10 non-LDC ACP countries may still sign an EPA during 2008-09 and the UK continues to urge the Commission to be flexible in these negotiations. On 10 December, the UK, along with the Netherlands, Denmark and Ireland, made a declaration setting out our continued concern for non-LDCs who had not then initialled an agreement and urged the Commission to show flexibility.
	For the 10 non-LDCs that have not signed an EPA we expect minimal, if any, trade disruption due to their current trade patterns with the EU. However, if these countries do request an alternative, it remains the UK position, as set out in 2005, that the European Commission should be ready to provide a WTO-compatible alternative to an EPA.

Africa: International Assistance

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the political unrest in Kenya has had any impact upon his Department's funded projects in  (a) the Democratic Republic of Congo,  (b) Burundi,  (c) Uganda and (d) Sudan.

Gareth Thomas: The political unrest in Kenya has currently had no direct impact on DFID funded programmes in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Uganda or the Sudan. However, we continue to monitor the situation closely given the potential impact—in particular on fuel supplies and prices.

Departmental Data Protection

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether personal data for which his Department is responsible is  (a) stored and  (b) processed overseas; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has a number of small databases which are maintained for internal operational purposes in its overseas offices, including some which contain personal data relating to DFID staff. No personal data for which DFID is responsible is either stored or processed overseas outside DFID offices.

Departmental Data Protection

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what obligations his Department and its agencies place on contractors in relation to the audit of personal data and IT equipment.

Douglas Alexander: Contracts awarded by DFID include standard terms and conditions which place obligations on contractors in relation to confidentiality of information, security of equipment and auditing requirements. These clauses specify contractors must have prior written consent from DFID to disclose any confidential information obtained during or arising from the contract, that DFID and the National Audit Office have unrestricted access to their accounts, files and records and that the Official Secrets Acts apply to them. For higher value IT contracts, DFID has built in additional data protection clauses, which require the contractor to comply with the Data Protection Acts.

Departmental Data Protection

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what audits his Department has carried out in relation to personal data and IT equipment in each of the last 10 years.

Gareth Thomas: Within the last 10 years, DFID has carried out the following specific audits relating to personal data and IT equipment:
	
		
			   Audit 
			 1998 Information management 
			  Information systems configuration management 
			   
			 1999 Asset control 
			   
			 2006 Asset management, disposal and accounting 
			   
			 2007 Data security assurance 
		
	
	In addition, DFID's Internal Audit Department reviews the local operation of controls over IT assets and data management as part of a rolling programme of administrative audits across DFID's overseas offices.
	The National Audit Office also reviews controls over information assets to the extent necessary for its audit of DFID's financial statements.

EU External Trade

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to ensure that the European Commission observes World Trade Organisation rules on  (a) most favoured nation and  (b) Singapore terms clauses within European partnership agreement negotiations. [R]

Gareth Thomas: The recently agreed Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific countries are compatible with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules on Free Trade Areas in Article XXIV of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. There are no WTO rules on Investment, Competition, Transparency in Government Procurement and Trade Facilitation (otherwise known as the Singapore Issues) or on most favoured nation clauses in free trade agreements.

Palestinians: EU Aid

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will place in the Library the final statement of the International Donors Conference for the Palestinian State held in Paris on 17 December 2007.

Shahid Malik: A copy of the statement will be placed in the Library. It is also available at:
	www.diplomatic.gouv.fr/en/country-files_156/israel-palestinian-territories_290/peace-process_2155/conference-of-donors-for-the-palestinian-territories-17.12.07_10439.html

Tanzania: Overseas Aid

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much the UK Government paid in aid to Tanzania in each of the last five years; what proportion of that aid was paid directly to the government of Tanzania; what proportion of the aid was project-specific; what projects were funded by UK aid; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 21 January 2008
	 Details of the UK's bilateral assistance and imputed multilateral assistance to Tanzania over the last five years are laid out in the following tables.
	The majority of the UK's bilateral assistance to Tanzania is provided direct to the Government of Tanzania in the form of Poverty Reduction Budget Support (PRBS). We provide significant levels of PRBS as Tanzania meets the requirements of the UK's Conditionally Policy, namely, a commitment to poverty reduction, a respect for human rights and a credible reform programme in place, including of public financial management. The UK regularly monitors Tanzania's continued adherence to this policy, including throughout the year with the 13 other budget support donors and also using a range of diagnostic tools (for example, the World Bank's Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability indicators) and independent surveys of corruption. We also use international and local data on poverty reduction to assess the progress the Government of Tanzania are making in improving the lives of their people.
	In addition to PRBS, the UK provides significant support to the Government of Tanzania's efforts to reform, improve public financial management and tackle corruption. For example, the UK has just agreed to provide £20 million over the next four years to support the Government's public service reforms and build their capacity to deliver basic services to the poor.
	In addition to our support direct to Government, the UK provides significant project and programme support to strengthening accountability and deepening democracy in Tanzania, including through support for civil society, the media and Parliament. Levels of scrutiny within Tanzania have significantly increased in the last two years. Alongside this, the UK supports the private sector to deliver the continued economic growth Tanzania needs to lift itself out of poverty in the long-term.
	
		
			  Table 1: UK total bilateral gross public expenditure (GPEX) on development 2002-03 to 2006-07 
			   Total UK bilateral GPEX to Tanzania  ( £000 )  Proportion going directly to Government of Tanzania (percentage)  Proportion delivered as DFID poverty reduction budget support (percentage)  Other DFID programme and project specific (percentage)  Aid from other UK official sources (percentage) 
			 2002-03 102,614 74 44 49 7 
			 2003-04 162,372 41 37 13 51 
			 2004-05 130,009 66 50 24 26 
			 2005-06 114,134 92 74 24 1 
			 2006-07 115,023 90 78 19 2 
			  Note: Rows may not sum due to rounding. 
		
	
	I have placed a table in the Library detailing the UK's bilateral projects in Tanzania over the last five years.
	
		
			  Table 2: Imputed UK share of multilateral official development assistance (ODA) 2001-05 
			   Tanzania (£000) 
			 2001 23,114 
			 2002 10,738 
			 2003 76,356 
			 2004 28,066 
			 2005 36,645

Trade Unions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what meetings he has had with trade unions officials since 1 July 2007; on what dates; and with which trade unions.

Douglas Alexander: Ministers meet many people as part of the process of policy development. It is not normal practice to disclose details of such meetings.

Zimbabwe: Migration

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1234W, on Zimbabwe: asylum, what assistance is being provided to  (a) Zambia,  (b) Mozambique and  (c) Botswana to assist in dealing with immigrants from Zimbabwe.

Gareth Thomas: The information is as follows.
	 Zambia
	The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has recently undertaken a rapid assessment of the patterns and impact of Zimbabwean migrants at the Chirundu border post. Depending on the results of the survey, DFID Zambia will consider funding an IOM support centre at the border post to provide humanitarian assistance to irregular migrants and other vulnerable groups in the area.
	 Mozambique
	I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 30 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1063W. As yet there has been no authoritative assessment on the numbers of Zimbabwean immigrants in Mozambique. Cross border movements continue and IOM, Save the Children and UNICEF are monitoring the situation. UNHCR stands ready to help anyone that registers as a refugee, but as yet no one has. DFID Mozambique also stands ready to assist and is currently assessing the needs of those worst affected by the floods in the areas bordering Zimbabwe.
	 Botswana
	IOM is constructing a reception centre on the border to provide humanitarian assistance to Zimbabweans deported from Botswana. In line with the centre at Beitbridge in South Africa, referred to in my answer of 18 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1234W, the centre will provide a meal, medical check up, transport home and information on safe migration.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisors

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether any of his Department's special advisers also work for organisations outside his Department.

David Cairns: Special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the "Model Contract" and "Code of Conduct for Special Advisers", copies of which are in the Library of the House.

Devolution

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any plans  (a) to review the Scotland Act 1998 and  (b) for further devolution of powers to the Scottish Parliament.

David Cairns: The Scotland Act 1998 is working well to secure the benefits of devolution within the United Kingdom for Scotland. Flexibility has always been contained in the Scotland Act and the Government will continue to be willing to adjust the settlement, using the powers contained within the Scotland Act, in whatever way is appropriate in the interests of good government. We will only make changes that strengthen the stability of the Union.

Fuels: Prices

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with HM Treasury colleagues on fuel costs in rural Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: My right hon. Friend and I have regular discussions with our Treasury colleagues on a range of issues.

Railways

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive on the development of high speed rail to Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: The Secretary of State has had no recent discussions with the Scottish Executive on the development of high speed rail to Scotland.
	The Department for Transport White Paper "Delivering a Sustainable Railway" published on 24 July 2007 set out that the Government's strategy to improve the quality of inter-urban rail services is to make the best use of existing networks by lengthening existing trains, increasing service frequencies and tackling key congestion pinch points. Consequently, the Government see no case for supporting a high-speed rail line at this stage.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Departmental Email

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will take steps to reduce the number of hard copies of e-mails printed by officials in his Department.

Phil Hope: Cabinet Office is continuing to undertake a number of measures to mitigate the unnecessary printing of e-mails.
	The Department has adopted an electronic records management system. This system will eliminate the need to print documents for filing, significantly reducing the number of e-mails which are printed. The roll-out of the system is estimated to be complete by March 2008. Staff are encouraged to include a message on all electronic correspondence discouraging the recipient from printing the e-mail unless absolutely necessary.

Departmental Flexible Working

Andrew Selous: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many staff  (a) have applied to work flexible hours and  (b) work flexible hours in the Cabinet Office.

Gillian Merron: Flexible working incorporates a wide variety of working patterns including part-time, job share, compressed and staggered hours or term-time working.
	The Cabinet Office currently has 198 members of staff that work either part-time or non-standard full-time hours. Information on applications for flexible working is not held centrally.

Departmental Official Residences

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  what the  (a) capital and  (b) notional open market rental value is of each official residence available to Ministers in his Department;
	(2)  how much was charged by the Cabinet Office to other Departments for each of the three official ministerial residences in Admiralty House in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07;
	(3)  what payment the  (a) Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and  (b) Deputy Prime Minister's Office made to the Cabinet Office for the use of Admiralty House as an official ministerial residence for the year 2006-07.

Phil Hope: No Cabinet Office Ministers are accommodated in official residences. Information on capital values of freehold properties is included in the National Asset Register. Information on notional open market rental values is not held. Information on rental income from freehold properties is included in the Cabinet Office's annual resource accounts, copies of which are available in the Library.

Departmental Recycling

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what weight of paper his Department recycled in each of the last five years.

Phil Hope: The Cabinet Office began recording comprehensive waste data in 2002-03. The weight of paper and cardboard recycled by the Cabinet Office, including the Prime Minister's Office, over the last five years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Recycled paper and cardboard (tonnes) 
			 2002-03 111.8 
			 2003-04 177.8 
			 2004-05 328.32 
			 2005-06 338.3 
			 2006-07 324.98

Sustainable Development

James Duddridge: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on what dates the ministerial Sub-Committee on sustainable development in Government has met since May 2005; how long each meeting lasted; and whether there are plans to place sustainable development in Government under the responsibility of a Cabinet Sub-Committee.

Phil Hope: On 23 July 2007, the Prime Minister introduced a reduced number of more focused and cross-cutting Cabinet Committees. As part of this, the Sub-Committee on sustainable development was dissolved, and responsibility for sustainable development transferred to the Economic Development (Environment and Energy) Sub-Committee. This will allow work on sustainable development to be driven in the context of our broader efforts on climate change and sustainability. Details of the Committee's membership and terms of reference can be viewed at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/secretariats/committees/edee.aspx
	or in the Library of the House.
	Information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees, including when, how often and for how long they meet, is generally not disclosed; as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.

Telephone Services: Fees and Charges

Anthony Steen: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make it his policy to enable clients contacting Government agencies to do so by telephone without charge.

Phil Hope: Decisions on telephone tariffs are a matter for Departments and agencies although the Central Office of Information recommends that affordability, based on the needs of the people for whom services are intended, should be considered.

Trade Unions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what meetings he has had with trade unions officials since 1 July 2007; on what dates; and with which trade unions.

Edward Miliband: Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and advice. It is not normal practice to disclose details of such meetings.

Voluntary Sector: Funding

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2007,  Official Report, column 561W, on voluntary sector funding, what his estimate is of the amount of work carried out by the voluntary sector in delivering public services for which no payment was made in the last year; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: It is legitimate for third sector organisations to recover the appropriate level of overhead costs associated with the provision of a particular service. Third sector organisations are not expected to deliver a public service contract for which they are not reimbursed on a sustainable basis. We recognise the added contribution that some third sector organisations bring over and above the core requirements of public service contracts, for example, through the use of volunteers.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Business

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's planned expenditure on business support, promotion of enterprise and economic development is for each year from 2007-08 to 2010-11; and which elements of this expenditure are planned to be funded through regional development agencies' single pot.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 15 January 2008
	The primary focus of DWP's policies is to help individuals move into and progress in work, especially people claiming out-of-work benefits and others who face particular disadvantages in the labour market.
	Though not directly intended as business support or the promotion of enterprise, both employers and the economy will benefit from policies that promote higher levels of employment by improving the functioning of the labour market and ensuring there is a wider pool of potential recruits for the vacancies that employers need to fill.
	In addition, some of our labour market help to individuals has a more direct effect on employers. Through the new deal self-employment option, support is offered to individuals who want to set up their own business. Other measures, such as local employment partnerships, aim to help more of our priority customers into work through working with employers to develop ways of increasing the efficiency of job matching or improving work-related skills.

Child Support Agency: Manpower

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are employed by the Child Support Agency to process special payments.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 21 January 2008:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are employed by the Child Support Agency to process special payments.
	The Agency has two methods of processing special payments. If a payment is made as part of a response to a complaint or as an action on a case which the Agency is administering clerically, the payment is made by the caseworkers in these areas along with their other duties.
	Special payments which do not arise from a complaint are currently dealt with by a central team of around 24 full time equivalent employees.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Departmental Cost Effectiveness

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in which areas his Department has made savings towards its March 2008 target of a £960 million saving.

Anne McGuire: Progress on delivery of the efficiency targets is reported six monthly in the departmental report and the autumn performance report. The autumn performance report for 2007 (ISBN 978-184763-201-2) published in December, is the latest publication. This can be found on our website at:
	http://www.dwp.gov/ukpublications/dwp/2007/autumnreport/
	and progress against our target is on page 73. The following table replicates the information in the autumn performance report:
	
		
			  Annual financial efficiency savings to September 2007 
			   £ million 
			 Jobcentre Plus £417 
			 The Pension Service £109 
			 Child Support Agency — 
			 Disability and Carers Service £7 
			 The Rent Service — 
			 Corporate Centre and Enabling Functions(1) £739 
			 Total £1,272 
			 (1) Corporate Centre and Enabling Functions include initiatives that cut across DWP for example the savings from paying our customers directly into their bank accounts.

Departmental Equality

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent by his Department  (a) in total and  (b) on staff costs on promoting equality and diversity in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many people are employed by his Department for this purpose.

Anne McGuire: The Department has a central team that takes forward an extensive programme of work on equality and diversity and ensures that the Department complies with all equality legislation.
	Information on the number of staff in the central team and how much has been spent in total and on staff costs by the central team in each of the last three years is shown in the following table. Information on the number of other staff in the Department working on equality and diversity cannot be disaggregated from their wider duties and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Information on the costs of promoting equality and diversity outside the central team is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Figures for the central team 
			   Headcount  Staff costs (£)  Total (£) 
			 2007-08 (1)24.44 1,145,386 1,741,766 
			 2006-07 (2)20.80 1,118,750 1,707,000 
			 2005-06 (3)26.11 1,195,576 1,608,313 
			 (1 )April 2007.  (2 )April 2006.  (3 )April 2005.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department and its agencies spent on end-of-year bonus payments in each of the last five years.

Anne McGuire: Performance bonus payments are awarded to employees on the basis of their individual performance. The expenditure incurred during the last five years is in the following table.
	
		
			  Financial year  Total paid (£ million) 
			 2003-04 25.29 
			 2004-05 38.61 
			 2005-06 42.82 
			 2006-07 40.68 
		
	
	The actual spend on bonus payments for 2007-08 is not yet available.

Departmental Pay

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 10 December 2007,  Official Report, column 188W, on departmental pay, how many of those earning over £100,000 were employed  (a) as special advisers and  (b) in a political role in each year since 2002.

Anne McGuire: Since 2003, the Government have published on an annual basis the number of special advisers in each pay band. For the most recent information I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on Thursday 22 November 2007,  Official Report, 147-51WS.
	Information on the numbers and costs of special advisers prior to 2003 was provided at regular intervals and this information will be available in the Library of the House.

Departmental Recycling

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recycling scheme is in operation in each building operated by his Department.

Anne McGuire: DWP has in excess of 1,000 sites so it is not possible to provide details of all the recycling schemes that are available on a site-by-site basis. The Department is committed however to meeting the waste and recycling targets for sustainable operations on the Government estate. During 2006-07 DWP recycled 67 per cent. of its measurable office waste, of which 90 per cent. was paper and cardboard. Overall, during the same period the Department produced 26 per cent. less waste than in the 2004-05 baseline year.
	In collaboration with its estate partner Land Securities Trillium, the Department operates a range of recycling schemes across the estate. In addition to the recycling of all confidential waste paper (covering the whole of the estate), a total paper recycling scheme has been introduced in over 300 buildings and continues to be rolled out wherever practical. All fluorescent lighting tubes are recycled, as is waste cooking oil. Arrangements are in place also to recycle redundant furniture, IT equipment, printer toner cartridges and mobile phones no longer required by the Department.

Departmental Sustainable Development

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department is on course to meet the commitment in the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate targets  (a) to source at least 10 per cent. of its electricity from renewables by 31 March 2008 and  (b) to increase recycling figures to 40 per cent. of waste by 2010.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 10 December 2007
	The Department has already met both targets. In 2006-07, 54 per cent. of our electricity was supplied from renewable sources, with a further 9 per cent. from CHP sources. Waste figures for 2006-07 indicate that the Department recycled 67 per cent. of the waste that it produced.
	The Department has plans in place to maintain this level of performance and to enhance it wherever possible—for example, we are working to extend the range of recycling schemes available across the estate.

Departmental Sustainable Development

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department met the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate target to reverse the then upward trend in carbon dioxide emissions by April 2007.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 10 December 2007
	The Department did not meet the target to reverse the upward trend in carbon emissions by April 2007. However, early indications for 2007-08 indicate that the upward trend has been reversed significantly, as the many projects and campaigns in place to reduce energy use begin to show positive results. It is important to note that the range of services offered to the public and the way in which they are delivered has changed dramatically since the baselines were set. Enhanced customer service, such as extended opening and contact times, means the Department has maximised its contribution to the social element of sustainable development; the trade-off for this being an increase in energy use, albeit one that we are successfully addressing.

English Language

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has spent on English language classes for staff in the last year for which figures are available.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions did not spend any resources on specific English language classes for its staff.

Health and Safety

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance and training his Department provides to employers on health and well-being in the workplace.

Anne McGuire: Employers are central to our aspirations of improving the health of the working age population and helping more people with health conditions and disabilities to find and keep work. As such, a key focus of the cross-government Health, Work and Well-being Strategy is engaging and supporting business. Practical support provided has included supporting Institute of Directors' guidance on managing workplace well-being; the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) Workplace Health Connect pilot, which has been testing the provision of free occupational health and return to work advice to smaller and medium-sized employers; and Shift's "Action on Stigma" campaign, which has developed resources to help line managers deal with employees with mental health conditions. We have also announced our intention to pilot a new advice and support service for employers, specifically focused on managing staff suffering from mental ill-health.
	This programme builds on the core activity of the HSE which works with employers and trade unions to make workplaces healthier and reduce the likelihood of injury and ill-health being caused by work. HSE provides a wide range of free and priced written guidance on the management of health and safety, as well as an extensive website. In addition, HSE's public enquiry telephone contact centre, Infoline, provides access to workplace health and safety information, guidance and expert advice.
	DWP has also set up a Vocational Rehabilitation Task Group to look at the best ways of encouraging and supporting employers to provide good quality rehabilitative services to their staff. The task group has commissioned an evidence review to assess the impact and cost-effectiveness of such interventions, which will help to guide employers.

Health and Safety Executive: Accidents

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many accidents took place at Health and Safety Executive facilities over the last 12 months for which figures are available, broken down by category.

Anne McGuire: Accidents(1) on HSE facilities for the last 12 months are set out in the following table, broken down by category. The last 12 months cut across two work years.
	
		
			   April 2006 to March 2007  April 2007 to December 2007 
			 Total RIDDOR accidents 11 4 
			  of which:   
			 Fatal injuries 0 0 
			 Major injuries 1 1 
			 Dangerous occurrences 1 0 
			 Over three day injuries: 9 3 
		
	
	The numbers of RIDDOR reportable accidents on HSE premises remains well below the average for the standard industrial classification that HSE belongs to.
	(1) This includes all accidents HSE is required to report under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR).

Health and Safety Executive: Hertfordshire Oil Storage Terminal

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions who is meeting the cost of the Health and Safety Executive's inquiry into the Buncefield disaster.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 10 January 2008
	The investigation into the Buncefield incident is being carried out by staff from the Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agency overseen by an independent Major Incident Investigation Board chaired by Lord Newton. HSE and EA meet their own costs in the first instance. However, both organisations recover these costs from the site operators managing the sites involved in the incident through a statutory charging regime.
	The costs of the Major Incident Investigation Board itself are not recovered.

Income Support: Lone Parents

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents claimed income support in each region of the UK, broken down by  (a) ethnicity and  (b) family size in each quarter since 1997.

Caroline Flint: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Industrial Accidents: Death

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many work-related deaths in  (a) Scotland and  (b) the UK were not investigated by the Health and Safety Executive in the last five years.

Anne McGuire: All work-related deaths in Scotland, in the last five years, have been investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
	All work-related deaths in the rest of the Great Britain (i.e. England and Wales), in the last five years, have been investigated by the HSE. HSE cannot provide statistics for Northern Ireland as it is not responsible for workplace Health and Safety in this country.
	The above work-related deaths are those which are reportable to the HSE under The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR).

Industrial Health and Safety: Animal Housing

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment of health and safety standards in private kennels will be undertaken prior to the provisions of section 68 of Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 commencing on 6 April 2008; and if he will initiate an inquiry into the health and safety standards at the kennels at which a dog attacked a lady handler in December 2007.

Anne McGuire: I am not aware of any plans to undertake health and safety assessments or inspections of kennels in preparation for the implementation of this section of the Act, though kennel operators are free to review their risk assessments and precautions at any time they see fit.
	Local authorities enforce health and safety legislation at kennels, and may undertake inspections as part of their routine activities.
	Salisbury district council has already initiated an investigation into the incident at West Grimstead on 14 December 2007.

Industrial Health and Safety: Animal Housing

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps the Health and Safety Executive recommends to protect kennels staff against attacks by animals.

Anne McGuire: HSE does not have plans to make any recommendations for protecting staff working at kennels. General HSE guidance on assessing risks to health and safety is available. HSE would look to the industry to develop and make specific recommendations, as they have the experience and knowledge to ensure any guidelines are practical and sensible.

International Labour Organisation: Anniversaries

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of the International Labour Organisation in 2009.

James Plaskitt: The United Kingdom has played a significant role in the work of the International Labour Organisation since it was created in 1919; and the Government will, over the course of 2008, consider proposals to mark the 90th anniversary of its founding, including the possibility of national events.

Lighting

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research the Health and Safety Laboratory has conducted into outdoor lighting.

Anne McGuire: The Health and Safety Laboratory has not undertaken any major pieces of research work on outdoor lighting. It has undertaken a variety of lower level projects on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) linked to particular investigations/activities.

Local Housing Allowance

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to assist local authorities in the introduction of local housing allowance on 7 April 2008; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The Department of Work and Pensions has an extensive programme of support and advice to help local authorities introduce the local housing allowance.
	The Department has provided local authorities with £59 million to support the implementation of the local housing allowance.
	The Department delivered 20 regional seminars for local authorities throughout summer 2007. A range of implementation and guidance products have already been made available to assist local authorities with specific activities, based largely on examples of good practice provided by LHA pathfinder authorities.
	The Department has developed a range of products to support local authorities in communicating with their stakeholders, particularly welfare rights organisations and landlords. A key aim of the LHA is to promote financial inclusion by encouraging tenants to have their benefit paid directly into their own bank accounts, and we have provided advice and information to local authorities to enable them to support their customers in opening bank accounts.
	The Department will continue to provide communications, advice and support to local authorities in the run-up to the roll out of the local housing allowance in April 2008.

Means Tested Benefits: Personal Savings

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of means-tested benefits in retirement on incentives to save.

Mike O'Brien: As part of its research and analysis programme over the last few years, the Department has published several analyses on incentives to save in a pension, and the role of income related benefits. This includes Projections of Pension Credit Entitlement, Financial Incentives to Save for Retirement, the Pensions Bill—Impact Assessment, and the Gender Impact Assessment of Pension Reform. These analyses show that, under reasonable assumptions about factors such as investment growth, the large majority of individuals likely to be affected by private pension reform—including many of those who may end up on income related benefits in retirement—can expect to benefit from saving.
	The Department also commissioned work on savings incentives from NIESR (The Effects of Means-testing Pensions on Savings and Retirement) and IFS (The Importance of Incentives in Influencing Private Retirement Savings: Known Knowns and Known Unknowns). These found, respectively, that the introduction of pension credit in 2003 strengthened incentives for lower-income households to save for retirement, and that many individuals face positive incentives to save in a private pension.

National Insurance: Migration

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many national insurance numbers have been issued to migrants from the EU accession countries in eastern Europe in  (a) England,  (b) Northamptonshire and  (c) Kettering in the last year.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 20 November 2007
	The available information is in the following table. The figures relate to the countries mentioned in note 5. as figures excluding Cyprus and Malta are not available for the geographical areas requested.
	
		
			  National insurance number registrations to citizens of EU accession countries in 2006-07 in England, Northamptonshire and Kettering 
			  Area  Number of registrations 
			 England 264,970 
			 Northamptonshire 5,780 
			 Kettering 590 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Some additional disclosure control has been applied. 2. Local authority is assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant postcode directory. 3. Local authority counts are based on the most recently recorded address of the NINO recipient. 4. Years referred to are financial years. 5. Accession countries are classed as Malta, Rep of Estonia, Rep of Latvia, Rep of Lithuania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Cyprus, Rep of Slovenia, Czech Rep and Slovak Rep.  Source: 100 per cent extract from National Insurance Recording System at 14 May 2007 
		
	
	The county of Northamptonshire consists of Corby, Daventry, East Northamptonshire, Kettering, Northampton, South Northamptonshire and Wellingborough local authorities.

Natural Gas: Safety Measures

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to discourage members of the public from attempting to fix faulty gas appliances themselves; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of illegal gas installers; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the number of illegal gas installers working in the UK;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the number of carbon monoxide poisoning incidents caused by illegal gas installers in the last period for which figures are available.

Anne McGuire: The law requires people who work on gas appliances to be competent and, if that gas work is done as business, that business must be CORGI-registered. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) publicises this key message, and the danger and likely illegality of DIY work, through a range of free guidance literature and via its website www.hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/index.htm. CORGI, approved by HSE to run the gas installer registration scheme, reinforces these messages through regular publicity campaigns, co-ordinated with the gas industry. A reform of the gas installer registration scheme will establish this as a major responsibility of the appointed provider of the new scheme.
	HSE follows up complaints and information received about illegal gas installers. It takes targeted enforcement action in line with the Health and Safety Commission's Enforcement Policy Statement. In 2006-07 approximately 9 per cent. of all offences prosecuted by HSE related to gas safety matters; of these 19 per cent. related specifically to unregistered installers. HSE has undertaken targeted enforcement initiatives against illegal installers, leading to innovative penalties such as community orders with an unpaid work requirement and to cases being well publicised. HSE also works with CORGI in tackling the issue of unregistered gas installers, through both investigative and awareness raising activities. The reform of the registration scheme envisages a possible new function for the new provider to take enforcement action against illegal gas workers.
	Statistics on the number of illegal gas installers working in the UK are not available.
	There are no official figures on the number of carbon monoxide poisoning incidents caused by illegal gas work. There was one fatal incident in 2006-07 involving such work, in which three people were killed. The installer was prosecuted and received a custodial sentence.

Pensions: Females

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the percentage of women who will qualify for the basic state pension in their own right by 2020.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 10 January 2008
	Under the pension reforms introduced by the Pensions Act 2007, anyone reaching state pension age in 2020 who has paid or has been credited with national insurance contributions for at least one year will be entitled to some basic state pension in their own right. The provisions of the Act ensure that more women will become entitled to a basic state pension and we estimate that over 90 per cent. of women reaching state pension age in 2025 will be entitled to a full basic state pension.

Pensions: Married People

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of beneficiaries of pension sharing orders under the age of 65 years whose former spouse already receive a pension.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested is not available.

Pensions: Teesside

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people  (a) in Teesside and  (b) in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland are expected to benefit from the restoration of private pensions for those in company schemes which collapsed.

Mike O'Brien: In most cases the sponsoring employer of failed pension schemes no longer exists, therefore, the address provided to Financial Assistance Scheme Operational Unit (FASOU) is that of the administrator or receiver, which often bears no geographical relevance to where the company was located as a going concern. Providing an accurate picture of those who have lost their pensions by constituency or region is therefore not possible.
	The FASOU only has addresses for members about whom schemes have submitted data. We are not, therefore, able to give a meaningful breakdown by location for all affected members at this time.

Personal Accounts: Consultants

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been paid by his Department to consultants for advice on the implementation of the personal accounts system.

Mike O'Brien: The implementation of the personal accounts system has not yet started. Expenditure has been incurred by DWP on operational implications of the policy and legislation for the Government's proposed reform of non-state pensions, including the framework for the personal accounts scheme. Expenditure on consultancy advice has amounted to £6,604,522 up to the end of October 2007.

Social Security Benefits

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are employed in the official error taskforce; how much is paid in salaries annually to staff in the taskforce; how many cases in relation to each type of benefit the official error taskforce has corrected in each week since its creation; and what the cost was of official error in relation to each type of benefit corrected by the taskforce in each week since its creation.

James Plaskitt: The official error taskforce has developed and oversees a programme of error reduction and correction initiatives. There are currently 10 members of staff on the taskforce, participating on a part-time basis alongside their normal duties. The proportion of time spent on the taskforce varies between members with annual salary costs attributable to taskforce duties amounting to £47,000.
	By September 2007, the taskforce programme has resulted in over 100,000 income support and jobseeker's allowance, and over 74,000 pension credit cases being reviewed with cumulative weekly errors totalling over £1.2 million having been corrected in income support and jobseeker's allowance cases and over £1.1 million in pension credit cases.

Social Security Benefits

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what  (a) percentage and  (b) cash value of each type of benefit is paid (i) into bank accounts, (ii) into building societies, (iii) into Post Office card accounts and (iv) by giro.

James Plaskitt: The answer is not available in the format requested. The following table is a snap shot for October 2007 and shows the approximate  (a) percentage and  (b) cash value of each of the main benefits administered by DWP paid (i) into bank/building society accounts (ii) into Post Office card accounts (POca), and (iii) by DWP cheque.
	
		
			   Bank/building society  POca  Cheque 
			   Percentage of payments  Cash values (£ million)  Percentage of payments  Cash values (£ million)  Percentage of payments  Cash values (£ million) 
			 State pension 81 3,375 18 875 1 (1)60 
			 Incapacity benefit 80 486 18 124 2 (1)— 
			 Income support 70 1,127 26 725 4 94 
			 Jobseeker's allowance 77 137 15 26 8 20 
			 Industrial injuries disablement benefits 76 60 23 19 1 0.6 
			 Attendance allowance 79 77 17 21 4 4 
			 Disability living allowance 81 575 17 121 2 15 
			 Carers allowance 80 74 19 22 1 0.8 
			 (1) State pension cheque values include payments of incapacity benefit and widows benefit.  Notes: 1. Figures relate to GB only. 2. Income support value figures include payments of pension credit. 3. State pension value figures for bank/building society and POca figures include payments of widows benefit. 4. Cash values have been rounded to the nearest £ million.  Source: DWP Method of Payment Statistics for the month of October 2007.

Social Security Benefits: Administration

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent by his Department administering each type of benefit in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: The information is not available in the format requested.

Social Security Benefits: Prisoners

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to tackle fraud and errors in payment in benefits paid to prisoners.

James Plaskitt: It is the responsibility of benefit recipients to advise the Department if they are committed to prison. However, we recognise that not all prisoners do notify us of this, so we have processes in place for HM Prison Service and the Scottish Prison Service, to send us data on admissions so we can identify prisoners who are receiving benefits to which they are no longer entitled. From December 2006, the frequency of these data were increased from monthly to weekly. In 2006-07, nearly 8,000 cases were corrected as a result of this type of data matching. This led to us identifying over £2.2 million in recoverable overpayments.
	Jobcentre Plus has also introduced employment benefit surgeries across the prison estate, to assist prisoners in closing down benefit claims efficiently on entry into custody.

Stockline/ICL Explosion

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what costs the Health and Safety Executive has incurred to date from the investigation of the Stockline/ICL explosion at Hopehill road, Glasgow on 11 May 2004.

Anne McGuire: The Health and Safety Executive's costs were calculated, to include the completion of the criminal prosecution, at approximately £2 million. This included costs of £1.2 million from the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL), which carried out the forensic and scientific work, which identified that the only credible cause of the explosion was a leak of LPG from a corroded underground metallic pipe.

Stockline/ICL Explosion

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the planned timetable is of the public inquiry instructed to investigate the circumstances of the Stockline/ICL Plastics explosion in Hopehill road, Glasgow on 11 May 2004.

Anne McGuire: Lord Gill, Lord Justice Clerk has agreed to chair the inquiry. The timetable for the inquiry is a matter for the chairman. An announcement of the setting up and running of the inquiry will be made shortly.

Telephone Services: Social Fund and Jobcentre Plus

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will place in the Library a copy of telephone scripts used by call centre staff in  (a) the Social Fund and  (b) Jobcentre Plus;
	(2)  what the proportion of calls received by  (a) the Social Fund and  (b) Jobcentre Plus were from a mobile telephone in the latest period for which figures are available.

Caroline Flint: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 21 January 2008:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions asking, if he will place in the Library a copy of telephone scripts used by call centre staff in (a) the Social Fund and (b) Jobcentre plus; and what the proportion of calls received by (a) the Social Fund and (b) Jobcentre Plus were from a mobile telephone in the latest period for which figures are available. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	A copy of the current scripts used when a customer wishes to make a claim to working age benefits or apply for a Crisis Loan from the Social Fund, by Contact Centre staff will be placed in the Library. The Scripts are frequently updated to reflect our commitment to continuous service improvement. If you wish to see how this process works in practice Val Gibson, my Director of the Contact Centre Directorate, will gladly arrange for you to visit a Contact Centre. She will contact you about arranging this.
	Jobcentre Plus is unable to establish the origin of each call received through any of our telephones. Our telephony systems do not record if a customer's call is made from a land line or mobile phone.

Unum Provident

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what contacts there have been between Unum Provident and his Department in the last five years.

Anne McGuire: The Government consulted widely with stakeholders in public and private sector organisations such as Unum Provident about its welfare reform plans. Unum Provident was one of over 600 organisations who responded to the Government's Green Paper on welfare reform when comments were invited. The Department has commissioned work from a variety of research establishments over this period, including the University of Wales Medical School, now incorporating the Cardiff University Centre for Psychosocial and Disability Research, which is sponsored by Unum Provident, but the Department has no direct relationship, commercial or otherwise, with Unum Provident.
	Along with other experts, two Unum Provident employees have contributed to the work of the Technical Working Group that carried out the review of the personal capability assessment, but their contribution was as individual experts in benefit assessment and in supporting return to work for people with disabilities, rather than acting on behalf of Unum Provident.
	Ministers have also taken part in symposia arranged by "Beginnings", a Unum-sponsored consortium of a wide range of public, private and voluntary sector organisations brought together to develop an integrated approach to disability issues.

Welfare Tax Credits: Employment

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many parents are in receipt of in-work credits; and what percentage of them have stayed in employment for  (a) up to three months,  (b) three to six months,  (c) six to nine months,  (d) nine to 12 months,  (e) 12 to 18 months,  (f) 18 to 24 months and  (g) over two years.

James Plaskitt: An in-work credit can be claimed for the first 52 weeks of employment. Recipients of in-work credits are not tracked beyond their claim so data are only available for up to 12 months of employment.
	There were 35,280 completed in-work credit claims that started during the period April 2004 to October 2006 and will therefore have been completed by October 2007. The durations of these claims are: 14 per cent. less than three months; 6 per cent. between three and six months; 9 per cent. between six and nine months; 11 per cent. between nine and 12 months, and; 60 per cent. for 12 months.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Educational Institutions: Crime

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many crimes were reported to have taken place in teaching establishments for which his Department is responsible in 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: I have been asked to reply.
	The Home Office has responsibility for crimes recorded by the police. However, from the statistics which are collected centrally it is not possible to identify offences committed in teaching establishments.

TREASURY

Absent Parents

Andrew Selous: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the Office for National Statistics' most recent estimate is of the number and proportion of children who live apart from their  (a) father and  (b) parents.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 21 January 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your request for the most recent estimate of the number and proportion of children who live apart from their  (a) father and  (b) parents. (180109)
	The Office for National Statistics does not make such estimates.
	Children living with their mother but not their natural father include those in lone mother households, those in households with a mother and step-father and any living with their mother (but not their father) in communal establishments. Estimates for the first of these categories are readily available from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) for the second quarter of 2007 (April to June). Of the estimated 12.9 million dependent children living in families in households in the United Kingdom, 2.8 million dependent children were in lone mother families. Comparable figures for the other two categories are not readily available. For step families, available estimates based on the 2001 Census relate to number of families and do not separately identify the number of children living with a step-father.
	There is no single estimate of children living apart from both parents. This group includes children living in households with other relatives (e.g. grandparents) or in foster or adoptive families; and children living in communal establishments without their parents e.g. those 'looked after children' in residential homes.

Alcoholic Drinks: Death

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 27 February 2007,  Official Report, columns 1287-89W, on Alcoholic Drinks: Death, when the figures for the number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause in 2006 and 2007 will be available; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 21 January 2008:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking, with reference to the Answer of 27th February 2007, Official Report, columns 1287-9W, on alcoholic drinks: death, when figures for the number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause in 2006 and 2007 will be available. I am replying in her absence. (179660)
	Figures on alcohol-related deaths registered in 2006 are now available, and the tables attached provide the number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause in each (a) London borough and (b) Government Office Region and Wales, in 2006. The corresponding figures for deaths registered in 2007 are expected to be available in June 2008.
	
		
			  Table 1. Number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause of death,( 1)  London boroughs, 2006( 2) 
			   Deaths (persons) 
			 Inner London 325 
			 Camden 36 
			 City of London 0 
			 Hackney 22 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 22 
			 Haringey 25 
			 Islington 27 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 18 
			 Lambeth 37 
			 Lewisham 17 
			 Newham 28 
			 Southwark 32 
			 Tower Hamlets 16 
			 Wandsworth 22 
			 Westminster 23 
			   
			 Outer London 499 
			 Barking and Dagenham 15 
			 Barnet 29 
			 Bexley 22 
			 Brent 46 
			 Bromley 25 
			 Croydon 42 
			 Ealing 31 
			 Enfield 38 
			 Greenwich 42 
			 Harrow 12 
			 Havering 19 
			 Hillingdon 45 
			 Hounslow 27 
			 Kingston upon Thames 17 
			 Merton 11 
			 Redbridge 25 
			 Richmond upon Thames 19 
			 Sutton 12 
			 Waltham Forest 22 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). The specific causes of death categorised as alcohol-related, and their corresponding ICD-10 codes, are shown in the box below. (2) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2. Number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause of death,( 1 ) Government Office Regions and Wales, 2006( 2) 
			   Deaths (persons) 
			 North East 435 
			 North West 1,209 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 679 
			 East Midlands 505 
			 West Midlands 801 
			 East of England 556 
			 London 824 
			 South East 921 
			 South West 587 
			 Wales 430 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). The specific causes of death categorised as alcohol-related, and their corresponding ICD-10 codes, are shown in the box below. (2) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Box 1. Alcohol-related causes of death—International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) 
			  Cause of death  ICD-10 code(s) 
			 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol F10 
			 Degeneration of nervous system due to alcohol G31.2 
			 Alcoholic polyneuropathy G62.1 
			 Alcoholic cardiomyopathy I42.6 
			 Alcoholic gastritis K29.2 
			 Alcoholic liver disease K70 
			 Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified K73 
			 Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver (excl. Biliary cirrhosis) K74 (excl. K74.3-K74.5) 
			 Alcohol induced chronic pancreatitis K86.0 
			 Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X45 
			 Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X65 
			 Poisoning by and exposure to alcohol, undetermined intent Y15

Bank Services

Sarah Teather: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of people in each  (a) age cohort and  (b) region without a bank account.

Angela Eagle: The most recent data available that allow assessment to be made of the number of households with no access to a bank account are the Family Resources Survey from 2005-06. The following tables show the proportion of households without a bank account of any kind by age of the household reference person (the owner of the household, or the person with the highest income), and by region.
	
		
			  (a) Proportion of unbanked households by age of household reference person 
			  Age of household reference person  Percentage of households with no account 
			 24 and under 7 
			 25-29 4 
			 30-34 4 
			 35-39 4 
			 40-44 4 
			 45-49 5 
			 50-54 4 
			 55-59 4 
			 60-64 5 
			 65-69 6 
			 70-74 7 
			 75-79 6 
			 80 and over 9 
			 Total 5 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Proportion of unbanked households by Government office region 
			  Government office region  Percentage of households with no account 
			 North East 6 
			 North West 5 
			 Yorks and Humberside 6 
			 East Midlands 14 
			 West Midlands 5 
			 Eastern 3 
			 London 5 
			 South East 2 
			 South West 2 
			 Wales 6 
			 Scotland 5 
			 Northern Ireland 11 
			 Total 5

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the statement of 20 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 1110-18, on HM Revenue and Customs, whether the package contained material other than the two missing computer discs.

Jane Kennedy: Given that the facts of the case remain the subject of investigations by the police and the IPCC, and are also being looked into by Kieran Poynter's review of HMRC data handling procedures, it would be inappropriate to comment at this stage.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cell field structure was of the data on the two child benefit data missing discs.

Jane Kennedy: For security purposes, it would not be appropriate to provide the information requested.

Death: Lincolnshire

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in  (a) the North East Lincolnshire and  (b) North Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust areas died from (i) stroke-related illnesses, (ii) lung disease and (iii) heart disease in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 21 January 2008:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many people in (a) the North East Lincolnshire and (b) North Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust areas have died from (i) stroke-related illnesses, (ii) lung disease and (iii) heart disease in each of the last five years. I am replying in her absence. (179713)
	The table attached provides the number of deaths where (i) stroke, (ii) chronic lung disease and (iii) coronary heart disease was the underlying cause of death in (a) North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus, and (b) North Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust, for 2002 to 2006 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of deaths with an underlying cause of stroke, chronic lung disease or coronary heart disease( 1) , North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus and North Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust (PCT)( 2) , 2002 to 2006( 3) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			  Cause  Area  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Stroke North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus 193 168 195 176 170 
			  North Lincolnshire PCT 188 185 148 150 127 
			  Total 381 353 343 326 297 
			
			 Chronic Lung Disease North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus 111 94 125 90 93 
			  North Lincolnshire PCT 77 105 97 87 92 
			  Total 188 199 222 177 185 
			
			 Coronary Heart Disease North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus 347 348 302 303 310 
			  North Lincolnshire PCT 341 305 251 304 272 
			  Total 688 653 553 607 582 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes I60-I69 for stroke, J40-J47 for chronic lung disease and I20-I25 for coronary heart disease. (2) Based on boundaries as of November 2007. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of Freedom of Information requests received by his Department have given rise to responses that have been published by his Department.

Angela Eagle: The number of requests to HM Treasury, along with those of other central Government bodies, is published by the Ministry of Justice in quarterly and annual reports. Information has so far been published up to September 2007 and shows that HM Treasury had received 3,260 requests.
	HM Treasury website includes a disclosure log which publishes those disclosures judged to be of wider public interest. For the aforementioned period, the Treasury has published 78 disclosures on their website—2.4 per cent. of all requests received.

EC Trade: Job Creation

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many jobs have been created as a result of trade with the EU in the last two years; and how many are expected to be created in the next two years.

Angela Eagle: The Government estimate around 500,000 jobs in the UK are linked, directly or indirectly, to the growth in the export of goods and services to the European Union since 2004. The Government have no estimate on future job creation from trade with the EU.

EC Trade: Job Creation

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of UK jobs which are contingent upon UK exports to the EU.

Angela Eagle: The Government estimate around 3.5 million jobs in the UK are linked, directly and indirectly, to the export of goods and services to the European Union.

Employment: Wirral

Ben Chapman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the employment rate in Wirral is; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 21 January 2008:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about employment in the Wirral. I am replying in her absence. (179628).
	The Office for National Statistics compiles employment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
	There were an estimated 134,000 people, aged 16 and over, in employment, resident in the Wirral unitary authority, for the 12 months ending March 2007, from the latest available data from the APS. The corresponding headline employment rate, for persons of working age (males aged 16 to 64 and females aged 16 to 59) was 70.2 per cent for the 12 months ending March.
	As these estimates are for a subset of the population in a small geographical area, they are based on small sample sizes, and are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty.

Income Tax

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people paid income tax on an earned income of £50,000 or more for each of the last 15 years in  (a) the private sector and  (b) the public sector.

Jane Kennedy: Information in the form requested is not available. Information on the distribution of earnings by total income is shown in table 3.6 for the years 1999-2000 to 2004-05 on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/menu-by-year.htm#36.
	A split between public and private sector employments is not available.

Loans

James Paice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research his Department has undertaken on the conversion by the courts of unsecured to secured loans against borrowers' wishes; and what plans he has to bring forward proposals to amend the regulatory regime affecting such cases.

Maria Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The courts do not convert unsecured to secured loans, therefore the Government have not undertaken any research on the conversion by the courts of unsecured to secured loans against borrowers' wishes.
	Courts do use charging orders. These are not the same as converting an unsecured loan into a secured loan. The purpose of charging orders is set out in section 1 (1) of the Charging Orders Act 1979 which provides that where a creditor is owed money under a judgment or order of the High Court or county court, a charging order may be made "for the purposes of enforcing that judgment or order" in order to secure payment of "any money due or to become due under the judgment or order". There are no plans to amend section 1 (1) of the Charging Orders Act 1979.

Lone Parents

Michael Fallon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation on lone parents and mini-jobs; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Representations are regularly made to Treasury Ministers and officials on a wide range of issues.

Low Incomes: Social Security Benefits

Ben Chapman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Government are taking to support people who are on low incomes and working full-time.

Jane Kennedy: The Government support people who are on low incomes and working full-time primarily through the working tax credit (WTC). Together with the national minimum wage, tax credits have enabled the Government to guarantee minimum levels of income and tax credits entitlement for full-time workers.
	This means, for instance, that from April 2008, a single person, aged 25 or over, who is in full-time work will have a combined weekly income and tax credit entitlement of at least £187. A household with one adult in full-time work, with one child, will have a combined weekly income and tax credit entitlement of no less than £290, while for a couple with no children and one adult in full-time work the equivalent minimum will be £221.
	The Government also offer support for low-income workers through the child care element of WTC. This ensures that workers can keep more of their earnings by paying for up to 80 per cent. of child care costs up to a maximum of £175 per week for one child and £300 for two or more children.

National Debt

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost of servicing the national debt was in the latest period for which figures are available; and what it was in 1997.

Angela Eagle: Figures for central Government debt interest payments in current prices are published monthly by the Office for National Statistics and can be found in Table 1.1C: Central Government (series NMFX), available at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/tsdtables1.asp?vlnk=fsf
	Central Government debt interest payments form approximately 97 per cent. of the total public sector debt interest payments.
	As a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), total public sector debt interest payments have fallen from 3.6 per cent. in 1997-98 to 2.2 per cent. in 2006-07.

Pay

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the annual percentage increase was in  (a) public sector salaries and  (b) private sector salaries in each of the last 15 years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 21 January 2008:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the annual percentage increase was in (a) public sector salaries and (b) private sector salaries in each of the last 15 years. I am replying in her absence. (179372)
	ONS estimates growth in public and private sector earnings using the Average Earnings Index, which is the ONS's measure of short term changes in earnings. I attach a table that provides these figures.
	However, ONS's source of information on annual salary rates is the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE). Annual levels of earnings have been estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) since 1999, and are provided for employees on adult rates of pay, who have been in the same job for more than a year. The ASHE, carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom.
	ASHE results can be obtained on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/ashe
	
		
			  Average Earnings Index: All employee jobs, main industrial sectors, seasonally adjusted—Great Britain 
			   Public sector (including bonuses, excluding arrears)  Private sector (including bonuses, excluding arrears) 
			  2000=100  Index  Annual growth (percentage)  Index  Annual growth (percentage) 
			   LNNJ   LNKY  
			 1991 73.7 — 67.7 — 
			 1992 79.6 7.9 71.4 5.5 
			 1993 81.7 2.7 73.7 3.3 
			 1994 83.5 2.2 76.7 4.0 
			 1995 85.0 1.9 79.3 3.5 
			 1996 87.6 3.0 82.3 3.7 
			 1997 89.6 2.3 86.2 4.8 
			 1998 92.5 3.3 91.0 5.6 
			 1999 96.4 4.2 95.5 5.0 
			 2000 100.0 3.8 100.0 4.7 
			 2001 105.0 5.0 104.3 4.3 
			 2002 109.3 4.1 107.9 3.5 
			 2003 114.8 5.0 111.2 3.0 
			 2004 119.8 4.4 116.1 4.4 
			 2005 125.3 4.6 120.6 3.9 
			 2006 130.0 3.7 125.7 4.2 
			  Note: All figures based upon the calendar year.  Source: Annual Earnings Index, Office for National Statistics

Pay: Public Sector

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the evidential basis is for a restriction of public sector pay increases to 2 per cent. or less to contribute to an inflation rate below 2 per cent.

Andy Burnham: The Government are committed to continuing to support public sector workers in their efforts to deliver the best possible public services. Over the last 10 years, the Government have therefore sought to increase the number of frontline workers as well as their pay. In particular, the period January 2000 to January 2006 saw an increase of 29.4 per cent. in public sector average earnings, which compares to 23.8 per cent. in the private sector over the same period.
	The Government's objectives for public sector pay settlements are that they should be consistent with maintaining the necessary levels of recruitment, retention and staff engagement needed to support service delivery; ensuring that total pay bills represent value for money and are affordable within Departments' overall expenditure plans; and consistent with the Government's achievement of the inflation target of 2 per cent.
	Wage pressures are one of the factors considered by the monetary policy committee of the Bank of England when setting interest rates to meet the inflation target.

Pensioners: Inflation

Kate Hoey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2007,  Official Report, column 605W, on Pensioners: Inflation, what the components are of the retail price index basket of goods and services; and how they are weighted.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 21 January 2008:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your parliamentary question asking (i) what the components of the retail price index basket of goods and services are; and (ii) how they are weighted. I am replying in her absence. (180287)
	The CPI and the RPI measure changes from month to month in the cost of a representative 'basket' of goods and services bought by consumers. Each year the ONS reviews the RPI and CPI basket of goods and services and updates the weights used to aggregate price changes, to ensure the selection of products in the basket and their weights remain representative of the overall pattern of expenditure of the average household covered by the published indices.
	There are some goods and services where household expenditure is sufficiently large that they merit inclusion in the basket in their own right: examples include petrol and telephone charges. More commonly, it is necessary to select a sample of specific goods and services that can give a reliable measure of price movements for a broader range of similar items. For example, price changes for garden spades might be considered representative of price changes for other garden tools.
	The components of the 2007 RPI and CPI basket of goods and services are shown in this article, available on the National Statistics website. Please see Annex B of:
	Damon Wingfield (2007) "CPI and RPI: The 2007 Basket of Goods and Services"
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/article.asp?ID=1746
	Each item in the index is weighted to reflect the proportion of household expenditure spent on them. Changes in the weights of components over time reflect changes in the expenditure pattern of households. The underlying data source for the weights for both the RPI and CPI is ONS's Expenditure and Food Survey (EPS). The EPS is a continuous household survey which monitors the spending patterns of around 6,000 households across the country each year.
	For further information on how the items are weighted you may wish to reference the publication by David Baran "Consumer Prices Index and Retail Prices Index: Updating Weights for 2007".
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/articles/nojournal/CPI&RPI_2007_weights_article.pdf

Personal Income: Greater London

Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average household income was in each London borough in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 21 January 2008:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the average household income was in each London Borough in each year since 1997. I am replying in her absence. (179726).
	Estimates of household income (which include income from all sources such as earnings, benefits, pensions, and investment income), are generally based on household surveys. The largest of these is the Family Resources Survey which has an annual sample in the UK of around 28,000 households. This is sufficient to produce estimates of household income at national and regional level, but not for smaller areas. Statistics on earnings by employees are available for local authorities from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) which is an employer-based survey.
	The ONS has published estimates of household income for what are known as the medium layer super output areas, for 2004/05 only. These estimates are based on a statistical model and are classed as experimental statistics—this means they have been developed in accordance with the principles set out in the National Statistics Code of Practice but have yet to be fully accredited as National Statistics. They are available through the Neighbourhood Statistics section of the ONS website. Super Output Areas (SOA's) are a new geographic hierarchy designed to improve the reporting of small area statistics. Unlike electoral wards, these SOA's are of consistent size across the country and are not subject to regular boundary change.
	The table provided shows household income for each London borough for 2004/05, before and after housing costs. These estimates have been calculated using the estimates of income and also estimates of population for each SOA to calculate a weighted average income for each London Borough. The population estimates themselves are also experimental statistics. Figures on the number of households in each SOA are not available.
	The average household income figures for the UK are taken from the 'Households Below Average Income' series produced using the Family Resources Survey. These are National Statistics. The 'Household Below Average Income' series usually presents results based on median incomes, however mean incomes are presented here to be more comparable with the small area statistics.
	
		
			  Average weekly household income( 1,2) —London boroughs, 2004-05 
			  £ (per week) 
			   Net weekly equivalised( 3)  household income 
			   Before housing costs( 4)  After housing costs( 4) 
			 Barking and Dagenham 430 340 
			 Barnet 600 530 
			 Bexley 510 450 
			 Brent 490 410 
			 Bromley 600 540 
			 Camden 630 530 
			 City of London 880 830 
			 Croydon 540 470 
			 Ealing 560 480 
			 Enfield 520 460 
			 Greenwich 500 410 
			 Hackney 450 360 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 660 560 
			 Haringey 530 430 
			 Harrow 560 490 
			 Havering 510 460 
			 Hillingdon 540 480 
			 Hounslow 550 460 
			 Islington 550 450 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 780 670 
			 Kingston upon Thames 640 580 
			 Lambeth 550 440 
			 Lewisham 510 420 
			 Merton 630 550 
			 Newham 390 300 
			 Redbridge 520 460 
			 Richmond upon Thames 760 690 
			 Southwark 510 410 
			 Sutton 570 510 
			 Tower Hamlets 440 350 
			 Waltham Forest 490 400 
			 Wandsworth 680 580 
			 Westminster 700 590 
			
			 UK 430 370 
			 (1) Figures rounded to the nearest 10. (2) Based on a population weighted average of medium layer super output areas. (3) Equivalised incomes are adjusted for different household sizes and compositions. An equivalised income indicates a standard of living that could be achieved by a two adult household with no children, with that actual income. (4) Housing costs include rent (gross of housing benefit), water charges, mortgage interest payments, structural insurance and ground rent and service charges.  Source: ONS, Department for Work and Pensions

Revenue and Customs: Data Protection

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes to its administrative procedures on transfer of confidential data HM Revenue and Customs has instituted since the beginning of November 2007.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to Kieran Poynter's interim report which was published on 17 December 2007 and is available in the Library of the House.
	Kieran Poynter will consider the need for any further procedural changes in his final report which is expected in the first half of 2008.

Stamp Duty Land Tax

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what requirements a home must have to be eligible for zero stamp duty land tax.

Angela Eagle: The requirements for a home to qualify for the stamp duty land tax zero-carbon homes relief are set out in The Stamp Duty Land Tax (Zero-Carbon Homes Relief) Regulations 2007. These regulations were made on 6 December 2007 and came into force on 7 December 2007 but the tax relief applies to acquisitions of qualifying properties on or after 1 October 2007. The following is a link to the regulations:
	http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2007/uksi_20073437_en_1

Taxation: Car Allowances

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to increase the 40p per mile tax free allowance which employees using their own cars may claim if undertaking legitimate business activities.

Angela Eagle: The Government stated in the pre-Budget report that an announcement on the taxation of cars used for business travel—including mileage payments—would be made at Budget 2008.

Trade Unions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings he has had with trade unions officials since 1 July 2007; on what dates; and with which trade unions.

Angela Eagle: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.
	Under the Freedom of Information Act, Treasury Ministers' diaries are available on the Treasury website:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/about/information/foi_disclosures/foi_disclosures_index.cfm

Work for Change Programme

Robert Key: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of HM Revenue and Customs initial impact assessment of socio-economic factors in its Workforce Change programme.

Jane Kennedy: There is no initial impact assessment for the Workforce Change programme as a whole.
	Socio-economic issues are among the factors reflected in the impact assessments for specific buildings published 12 to 18 months before a building is due to be fully vacated. These impact assessments are already available, both internally to staff and externally on the HMRC website:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk

Working Families Tax Credit

Willie Rennie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals to amend the legislative provision for childcare support received through working families tax credit to allow those in training or further education to have time spent in study taken into account.

Jane Kennedy: The child care element of working tax credits (WTC) is designed to help remove the child care barrier that often prevents people taking up or returning to work. Eligibility to this system is therefore dependent on claimants being in formal employment for a minimum of 16 hours per week. Parents undertaking training courses or further education with a view to moving into work may qualify for access to free child care resource (through New Deal and education providers direct) and so there are currently no plans to extend the child care element of WTC to this group.

Working Families Tax Credit

Willie Rennie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review the number of hours parents are required to work before they are eligible to receive child care support through working families tax credit.

Jane Kennedy: The working tax credits (WTC) system is dependent on claimants being in formal employment for a minimum of 16 hours per week. Since the child care element is an integral part of the overall system, it would not be practical to have a shorter hours rule for certain claimants claiming certain elements.

DEFENCE

Military Covenant

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of his Department's effectiveness in upholding the military covenant.

Derek Twigg: The Government provide a wide range of support to our armed forces and veterans and their families. We have made a number of improvements recently including enhancements to operational equipment, accommodation, compensation and medical support. The Command Paper, due in the spring, will outline steps taken so far and future initiatives to enhance the Government's support.

Military Covenant

Andrew MacKay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent steps he has taken to improve his Department's meeting of its obligations in respect of the military covenant; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Uxbridge (Mr. Randall).

Military Covenant

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of his Department's effectiveness in upholding the military covenant.

Derek Twigg: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Uxbridge (Mr. Randall).

Afghanistan

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the personnel and material provided to UK armed forces in Afghanistan by other members of NATO.

Des Browne: UK armed forces in Afghanistan are ably supported by other members of NATO, both in terms of personnel and material.

Military Vehicles

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to improve the safety of military vehicles in theatre.

Des Browne: All equipment, including military vehicles, must comply with legislation and other statutory provisions covering safety. It is incumbent on the MOD to ensure that the equipment it provides and systems it operates are safe, that hazards have been eliminated or residual risks reduced to an acceptable level.
	Military operations are inherently risky. We keep the threats our troops are facing in theatre under regular review and, where appropriate, seek to amend our tactics or introduce new protection solutions such as improved counter measures and uparmouring. When judged necessary, we have introduced whole new vehicle types, such as the Mastiff heavy protected patrol vehicle.

Selly Oak Hospital

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in developing the military-managed wing at Selly Oak hospital.

Derek Twigg: Excellent progress has been made since we announced, over a year ago, that we were establishing a military-managed ward at Selly Oak hospital for military trauma orthopaedic patients whom it is clinically appropriate to accommodate together. The ward achieved the desired operational capability last July. We shall build on these arrangements when we move into the new Birmingham hospital in 2010. I pay tribute to the military medical and NHS civilian ward staff who are providing first-class treatment and care for severely wounded military personnel.

Aircraft Carriers

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the target in-service dates are for HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carriers.

Bob Ainsworth: The in-service dates for the future aircraft carriers are 2014 and 2016.

Aircraft Carriers

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on the future aircraft carrier programme; and when the new carriers are planned to come into service.

Bob Ainsworth: Work to move to manufacture continues with the industrial alliance delivering the project. Legal formalities to allow the joint venture between BAE Systems and VT Group to receive a manufacture contract are being progressively addressed. There has been no change to the planned in service dates of 2014 and 2016.

Key Worker Status

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to ensure that serving personnel are made aware of their key worker status when buying homes.

Bob Ainsworth: Every suitable opportunity will be taken to get across the important message that all qualifying Service personnel across England and Wales now have key worker status. This will be achieved in a variety of ways, through internal communications systems, Service publications, and briefings by the Joint Service Housing Advice Office, as well as through regional and local media, external websites and magazines.

Postal Services

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the extension of free postal services to service personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Bob Ainsworth: The Ministry of Defence and Royal Mail jointly announced on 12 November that the freepost scheme for the Iraq and Afghanistan theatres will continue as long as we have personnel deployed in those areas. The Department keeps the details of the scheme under continuous review but no further changes are currently planned.

Ex-service Personnel: Housing

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on developing arrangements by which former services personnel can claim a local connection when applying for social housing.

Derek Twigg: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Crawley (Laura Moffat).

Ex-service Personnel: Housing

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress is being made on enabling former service personnel to claim a local connection when applying for social housing.

Derek Twigg: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Crawley (Laura Moffatt).

Defence Diversification

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's defence diversification policies since 2001.

Bob Ainsworth: The Ministry of Defence most recently considered its approach to defence diversification in 2004 and 2006. We concluded that our diversification agenda was firmly embedded within the Department's core activities.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  pursuant to the statement by the Prime Minister of 12 December 2007,  Official Report, column 305, on Afghanistan, whether the 5,000 former fighters were part of the Program-Tachim-e Sol' scheme;
	(2)  pursuant to the statement by the Prime Minister on 12 December 2007,  Official Report, column 305W, on Afghanistan, whether the 5,000 former fighters who have laid down their arms were part of the Program-Tachim-e Sol' scheme.

Des Browne: The Program-Tachim-e Sol' is owned by the Government of Afghanistan, who advise that the majority of the 5,000 former fighters referred to by the Prime Minister were part of this scheme.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the statement by the Prime Minister of 12 December 2007,  Official Report, column 304, on Afghanistan, how many civilian helicopters his Department estimates NATO will lease for use in Afghanistan; whether the leased helicopters will operate in Regional Command South; what defensive aides suites the leased helicopters will have; when he expects the first leased helicopter to enter Afghanistan; for how long each contract will last; how much each contract will cost; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: NATO will lease a mix of aircraft suitable to carry the contracted 13,000kg of freight per day. They will be used throughout Afghanistan, including in Regional Command South. The first aircraft is expected to enter Afghanistan in early 2008, on a one year contract with the option to extend for a second. I am withholding details of the defensive aids for these helicopters as it would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of NATO forces. I am also withholding information on the cost of the contract as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK helicopters with hoists for medical support there are in theatre in  (a) Afghanistan and  (b) Iraq.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 17 January 2008
	In both Iraq and Afghanistan, all UK helicopters deployed as part of the immediate response teams, which provide the medical evacuation capability, are equipped with hoists.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who will take over from the 52 Brigade in Afghanistan; and what changeover date  (a) was originally planned and  (b) is noe expected.

Des Browne: I shall inform the House of the units to be deployed in due course.

Armed Forces: Driving

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether British military personnel are required to hold the relevant British driving licence for the relevant category while driving different vehicles in theatre.

Bob Ainsworth: Not all military vehicles are included in British driver licensing regulations. Personnel are required to hold the appropriate licence for the weight of the vehicles they will be driving while in theatre. Additionally, all drivers are required to undertake specific training on those vehicles which they will be required to drive.

Armed Forces: Foreigners

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what proportion of non-UK citizens serving in each branch of the armed forces went absent without leave in each of the last 10 years.

Derek Twigg: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Housing

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the cost of void and unused accommodation to his Department in 2007-08; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  pursuant to his answer of 30 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1349W, on armed forces housing, what the cost of rent, council tax, maintenance and administration in relation to void properties in the married quarters estate has been in  (a) England,  (b) Scotland and  (c) Wales in the last 12 months.

Derek Twigg: The average costs of void properties are no different to those for occupied properties. In England and Wales the majority of service family accommodation is owned by Annington Homes Ltd. (AHL). As part of the agreed contract with AHL, the MOD pays 42 per cent. of the market rent of each property to AHL (an average of some £3,500 per property per year). In Scotland properties are owned by MOD and no rental charges are incurred.
	All properties in England, Scotland and Wales incur standing costs of council tax and maintenance. Contribution in lieu of council tax is averaged out at approximately £1,200 per property per annum. Maintenance is an average of approximately £2,500 per property per annum. Information on administrative costs is not held in the format requested.
	It is worth noting that the vast majority of void properties are held to facilitate the need to queue houses for families to satisfy entitlement and also to effectively manage future unit moves.

Armed Forces: Housing

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much of the announced £5 billion expenditure on his Department's accommodation over the next 10 years has already been allocated to existing or approved projects over that period.

Derek Twigg: We recently announced that we have reassessed our likely spend on accommodation for the next 10 years to take account of those elements previously excluded. The total amount will in fact be £8.4 billion. Of that, £3.1 billion will be spent on new-build and upgraded accommodation projects, with approximately two thirds allocated to current approved projects and the balance against a programme for the improvement of both single living and family accommodation.

Armed Forces: Housing

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the planned £5 billion to be spent on his Department's accommodation includes expenditure on  (a) barrack rebuilds,  (b) refurbishments and  (c) military base upgrades.

Derek Twigg: We recently announced that we have reassessed our likely spend on accommodation for the next 10 years to take account of those elements previously excluded. The total amount will in fact be £8.4 billion. Of that, £3.1 billion will be spent on new-build and upgraded accommodation, £2.3 billion on refurbishment and maintenance and £3 billion on routine costs, including rent, other leasing costs and the equivalent of council tax.
	That expenditure does not, therefore, include expenditure on the rebuild or refurbishment of non living accommodation at either military barracks or military bases.

Armed Forces: Housing

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on  (a) refurbishment and  (b) emergency repairs and upkeep of his Department's accommodation in 2006-07.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence spent some £12.5 million on upgrading service families accommodation (SFA) in Great Britain to the top standard for condition in 2006-07. In the same period, some £122.5 million was spent on repairs and general upkeep of properties.
	Details of SFA expenditure in Northern Ireland and overseas is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Expenditure on single living accommodation (SLA) is spread throughout the Department. The required details of total spend on SLA are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, Defence Estates spent some £120 million on providing new SLA in 2006-07.

Armed Forces: Housing

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what  (a) recent discussions he has had on and  (b) steps he is taking to make his Department's (i) housing procurement strategy, (ii) refurbishment programme and (iii) emergency repairs functions more efficient.

Derek Twigg: Defence Ministers are taking an active lead in the work being done on accommodation—this involves frequent meetings, briefings and site visits with stakeholders, service personnel and other interested parties. We want to ensure a step-change and to drive forward further work on upgrading and improving accommodation, including repair and maintenance.
	In recent years a single Housing Prime Contract (HPC) has been set up covering the maintenance of some 45,000 service families accommodation (SFA) in England and Wales, which replaced hundreds of previous contracts. The HPC helpline ensures that emergency calls are responded to quickly with nearly all emergency repairs now being effected within the required timescales. Since 2003 SFA in Scotland has been maintained as part of the Regional Prime Contract.
	In a similar timeframe, Project Single Living Accommodation Modernisation (SLAM) was launched to deliver new en-suite SLA across the UK together with several parallel PFI projects. These initiatives have resulted in 12,000 SFA and 20,000 SLA being upgraded since 2002 and have increased the efficiency of delivery.
	We are also developing an Estate Development Plan which will help us ensure we have an estate of the right size and quality.

Armed Forces: Housing

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his definition is of his Department's accommodation on which £5 billion over 10 years is to be spent.

Derek Twigg: We recently announced that we have reassessed our likely spend on accommodation for the next 10 years to take account of those elements previously excluded. The total amount will in fact be £8.4 billion. Of that, £3.1 billion will be spent on new-build and upgraded accommodation, £2.3 billion on refurbishment and maintenance and £3 billion on routine costs, including rent, other leasing costs and the equivalent of council tax.
	Accordingly, the £8.4 billion entirely relates to living accommodation.

Armed Forces: Housing

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of his Department's housing budget is taken up by administrative costs in 2007-08; and how much of the announced £5 billion expenditure on his Department's accommodation over the next 10 years will be spent on administrative and overhead costs.

Derek Twigg: The management of housing in Great Britain is carried out by a directorate within Defence Estates, the organisation responsible for the defence estate. The budget of the housing directorate includes £26 million for administrative and other overheads.
	As the Secretary of State for Defence recently announced, we have reassessed our likely spend on accommodation for the next 10 years to take account of those elements previously excluded. The total amount will in fact be £8.4 billion. The £8.4 billion does not include any administrative or other overheads of the Department.

Armed Forces: Housing

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's expenditure on married quarters is in 2007-08; and how much of the announced £5 billion expenditure on his Department's accommodation over the next 10 years is planned to be spent on married quarters.

Derek Twigg: Current forecasts for 2007-08 include some £400 million of expenditure on married quarters in the United Kingdom. This includes the maintenance of the housing stock of some 50,000 houses and upgrading of at least 600 houses to the highest standard. Because of the way in which the management of housing is carried out overseas, it is not possible to provide an accurate forecast for overseas housing without disproportionate effort and cost.
	We recently announced that we have reassessed our likely spend on accommodation for the next 10 years to take account of those elements previously excluded. The total amount will in fact be £8.4 billion. Around £4.5 billion of this amount is planned to be spent on married quarters in the United Kingdom.

Armed Forces: Housing

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what areas of expenditure will be included within the proposed £5 billion to be spent on his Department's accommodation over the next 10 years.

Derek Twigg: We recently announced that we have reassessed our likely spend on accommodation for the next 10 years to take account of those elements previously excluded. The total amount will in fact be £8.4 billion. Of that £3.1 billion will be spent on new-build and upgraded accommodation, £2.3 billion on refurbishment and maintenance and £3 billion on routine costs, including rent, other leasing costs and the equivalent of council tax.

Armed Forces: Housing

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Government expect all service accommodation to be at an acceptable standard at the planned rate of improvement.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to providing decent accommodation for service personnel and their families. Addressing accommodation issues globally is one of our top priorities, but will take time as there is no quick fix to dealing with a legacy of decades of under funding.
	Defence Estates is currently working with the armed forces on a long-term Estate Development Plan. This will allow us to identify future requirements and timescales for implementation.
	The accommodation of more than 12,000 service families has been upgraded in the last six years. The current funded programme is expected to deliver 600 upgrades this financial year, 600 next year and some 800 for each year thereafter.
	In addition, since 2001, some 20,000 new or improved single living accommodation bed-spaces have been delivered with a further 30,000 planned by 2013.

Armed Forces: Housing

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on project SLAM on increasing and enhancing service accommodation.

Derek Twigg: In the five years since the contract award in December 2002, Project Single Living Accommodation Modernisation (SLAM) has delivered 9,540 new bed-spaces, with a further 3,716 in construction and 2,592 in the design and development stage. Much of this accommodation is single en-suite rooms, with communal kitchen, laundry and drying room facilities and living areas.
	In total, under Project SLAM and similar initiatives, some 20,000 new or improved bed-spaces have been delivered since 2001 with a further 30,000 to be delivered by 2013.

Armed Forces: Mental Health Services

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research his Department has commissioned on the causes and prevention of combat stress.

Derek Twigg: MOD has funded the King's College London Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR) to undertake major research into the health of those who have served on recent operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of its findings have already been published in the peer-reviewed medical literature, including major pieces of work published in 2006. This research showed that there was no increase in psychiatric disorders seen in regular personnel deployed on the first phase of Op. Telic compared to the rest of the UK armed forces, and that the later Op. Telic deployments examined were not associated with any worsening of mental health consequence compared to the initial Op. Telic group.
	Within KCMHR, the Academic Centre for Defence Mental Health has been established as an in-house mental health research resource which is looking into a variety of smaller scale aspects of dealing with the mental health of service personnel.
	A Tri-Service Overarching Review of Operational Stress Management was carried out in 2004-05 which recognised the issues surrounding operational and combat stress. The armed forces were tasked with adopting its recommendations as appropriate within their single-service provisions.

Armed Forces: Pay

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1449W, on armed forces pay, what the change was of the lowest increase in armed forces salaries against the retail price index; and which rank this was in relation to.

Derek Twigg: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend, the Minister for the Armed Forces (Mr. Ainsworth) gave him on 18 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1449W. The average salary, on armed forces pay, is not available by rank and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Illustrative rates for military salaries (excluding allowances) are, however, published by DASA in table 2.26 of United Kingdom Defence Statistics. These show the rates for each rank for that pay level with the largest number of people at 1 May 2005. As such, they do not reflect all the possible changes to the various pay levels within a rank, nor the movements between increments which individual servicemen receive.
	The following table shows the year-on-year percentage changes derived from these figures rounded to one decimal place. The ranks are shown in terms of Army ranks.
	
		
			2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  Compounded over period 
			 General Level 1 2.5 2.3 2.8 7.5 6.3 23.2 
			 Brigadier Level 3 3.7 3.5 2.5 3.0 3.0 16.7 
			 Colonel Level 1 3.7 3.5 2.5 3.0 3.0 16.7 
			 Lieutenant Colonel Level 9 3.7 3.5 2.5 3.0 3.0 16.7 
			 
			 Major Level 9 4.2 3.5 2.5 3.0 3.0 17.3 
			 Captain Level 2 4.2 3.5 2.5 3.0 3.0 17.3 
			 Lieutenant Level 8 3.7 3.5 2.5 3.0 3.0 16.7 
			 2nd Lieutenant Level 5 3.7 3.5 2.5 3.0 3.0 16.7 
			 
			 Warrant Officer I Level 4 H1 4.4 3.5 2.5 3.0 3.0 17.5 
			 Warrant Officer II Level 6 H 3.7 3.5 2.5 3.0 3.0 16.7 
			 Staff Sergeant Level 6 L1 3.7 5.5 2.5 3.0 3.0 19.0 
			 Sergeant Level 5 H 3.7 3.5 2.5 3.0 3.0 16.7 
			 
			 Corporal Level 3 H 3.7 3.5 2.5 3.0 3.0 16.7 
			 Lance Corporal Level 5 H 3.7 3.5 2.5 3.0 3.0 16.7 
			 Private Level 1 L1 4.2 4.0 2.9 3.0 3.3 18.7 
			  Note: Service personnel on these pay levels have at times received larger increases than colleagues on different spine points within the same pay range for their rank. This is the result of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body having targeted some groups with recommendations for higher pay increases than those aimed at the majority of their service colleagues. Note that the compounded increase over that period for each of the other pay levels within these ranks would be at least the 16.7 per cent. quoted for other ranks. 
		
	
	The changes in the retail prices index year-on-year are as set out in my answer on 18 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1449W.

Armed Forces: Schools

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the projected budget is for service children's education schools in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.

Derek Twigg: The current projected resource control totals for service children's education for the next three financial years are as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2008-09 78.359 
			 2009-10 79.743 
			 2010-11 80.674

Armed Forces: Vehicles

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many road traffic accidents occurred which involved both a military tracked vehicle and a civilian vehicle, in each of the last five years.

Derek Twigg: Road traffic accidents involving both a military tracked vehicle and a civilian vehicle that occurred over the last five years are as follows:
	
		
			   Number of accidents involving a military tracked vehicle and a civilian vehicle 
			 2003 38 
			 2004 26 
			 2005 32 
			 2006 103 
			 2007 48 
		
	
	The Department takes all road traffic accidents extremely seriously. To reduce the number of accidents, we deliver road safety campaigns and initiatives through organisations such as the Defence Road Safety Committee.

Armed Forces: Widowed People

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the provision of continuing financial support to the widows and widowers of service personnel who die  (a) on and  (b) off operations while in receipt of armed forces' continuity of education allowance.

Derek Twigg: If a continuity of education allowance (CEA) claimant dies in service, the allowance will continue to be paid either to the end of the current stage of education, or for up to two full terms after the term in which the death of the service person occurred, whichever is the longer extension. This support applies to all children for whom CEA was being claimed prior to the date of death in service, and delivers the very continuity that the allowance was designed to provide.
	Moreover, if a child is already studying for public examinations, CEA will continue to be paid for up to four years or to the end of the term in which the child takes the examination and then leaves school, whichever is soonest. By way of example, for a child aged 14 to 16 years who subsequently moves on to A-level studies, this would normally be up to four further years. Conversely, for a child aged 16 to 18 years, it would normally be up to two further years.
	Given the emphasis on providing continuity of education, the allowance does not infer new entitlement for any child(ren) not already in receipt of CEA when the service parent dies.
	Importantly, however, the same degree of support is available in all cases where a CEA claimant dies in service, whether or not the individual was deployed on operations. The above provisions are also available in all instances where CEA claimants are invalided from the armed forces.

Army: Admissions

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what grounds rejections of applications to join the Army are made.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 17 January 2008
	 Applications to join the Army can be rejected because of a failure to satisfy eligibility criteria in any of the following fields:
	Age
	Convictions
	Driving disqualifications/endorsements
	Debt
	Drugs
	Education standard
	Eyesight
	Gender (women are excluded from employment in ground combat roles)
	Height
	Indentured apprentice
	Medical standard
	Nationality
	Parental consent (required for those enlisting below the age of 18)
	Physical fitness
	Record of conduct in previous service with armed forces
	Religion (Satanists are not accepted for service with the Army)
	Reserve liability to commonwealth armed services
	Residency
	Tattoos/body piercing
	Weight/body mass index
	The applicability of, and the standard required within, each criterion, can depend on whether an applicant is seeking to become an officer or soldier, and also which trade or arm of the Army the applicant wishes to join.

Colombia: Military Aid

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of UK military assistance to the Colombian security forces was committed to humanitarian de-mining programmes in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Bob Ainsworth: In financial year 2007-08 it is planned that approximately 8 per cent. of UK MOD financial assistance to Colombia will be focused on humanitarian de-mining.

Colombia: Military Aid

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance his Department provided to the Colombian security forces in each of the last five years; what assistance he plans to provide in the future; what the cost was in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The following table provides the approximate cost of to the Department in assisting the Colombian security forces:
	
		
			  Financial year  £000 
			 2003-04 120 
			 2004-05 130 
			 2005-06 130 
			 2006-07 190 
			 2007-08 (1)190 
			 (1) Current estimate 
		
	
	This co-operation has been focused on British military education to strengthen human rights values and professional conduct within the Colombian armed forces, and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) training in order to reduce military and civilian deaths from explosive devices.
	We plan to maintain co-operation at a similar level over the next year. However, the provision of future assistance continues to be dependent on our being satisfied that no one receiving UK training is engaged in illegal activities or abuses. Furthermore, we cannot currently specify the precise nature of future assistance as this will also depend on a number of factors such as the availability of UK resources, the wishes of the Colombian Government, and an analysis of training needs.

Colombia: Military Aid

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to ensure that British military assistance to Colombia is restricted to humanitarian work; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: UK MOD co-operation with Colombia is focused on three main areas: embedding human rights reforms within the Colombian armed forces in order to increase democratic accountability and minimise human rights abuses; explosive ordnance disposal training to reduce civilian and military casualties from explosive devices; and bespoke counter-narcotics assistance to stem the flow of illegal drugs to the UK and strengthen the rule of law in Colombia. All these areas of activity are aimed at reducing internal conflict in Colombia, thereby alleviating humanitarian suffering.

Colombia: Military Aid

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to ensure British military assistance to Colombia is targeted towards counter-insurgency and counter-narcotics operations.

Bob Ainsworth: Our bilateral defence co-operation programme in Colombia has very specific objectives: to strengthen human rights values and professional conduct within the Colombian armed forces; to provide explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) training in order to reduce military and civilian deaths from explosive devices; and to stem the flow of illegal narcotics to the UK. It comes with conditions and safeguards attached which we monitor closely within the limitations of our co-operation programme.

Defence Aviation Repair Agency

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when  (a) he and  (b) his Ministers last visited the Defence Aviation Repair Agency at (i) Almondbank and (ii) Fleetlands.

Bob Ainsworth: My predecessor last visited the Defence Aviation Repair Agency (DARA) rotary wing business at Fleetlands on 10 May 2007 and the Components business at Almondbank on 22 August 2003. My right hon. Friend the Defence Secretary has not visited DARA.

Defence Aviation Repair Agency: Privatisation

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to ensure that any private sector owner of the Defence Aviation Repair Agency be required to maintain current levels of productivity and versatility in repairing war-damaged helicopters.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 15 January 2008
	 I announced on 25 July 2007 that work would continue to assess whether sale of Defence Aviation Repair Agency Rotary Wing and Components businesses offers best value for Defence.
	As part of this assessment, my officials are considering all operational issues, including the ability of any new private sector owner to maintain the standards currently being achieved by DARA, before a final sale decision is made. Sale will only proceed on the basis that current levels of productivity and versatility are maintained or improved.

Defence Aviation Repair Agency: Privatisation

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to sell the Defence Aviation Repair Agency; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 14 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 879-80W, to the hon. Member for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle).

Defence Aviation Repair Agency: Standards

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the efficiency of the Defence Aviation Repair Agency rotary wing maintenance plants at  (a) Almondbank and  (b) Fleetlands.

Bob Ainsworth: The performance of the Defence Aviation Repair Agency, including its efficiency, is measured through annual Key Targets, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
	The Defence Aviation Repair Agency's performance against these targets is assessed by the Department's Defence Internal Audit organisation.

Defence Equipment and Support Organisation: Manpower

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1035W, on Defence Equipment and Support Organisation: manpower, what the reasons are for the difference between the figures relating to staff numbers provided in the answer and those on the Defence Equipment and Support Organisation's homepage.

Bob Ainsworth: The DE&S website uses an approximate manpower figure of 29,000 to provide a general view of the size of the organisation. The precise manpower figure varies over time and in the event of requests for more detailed manpower figures, these are provided. We recognise the need to update the approximate manpower figure on the DE&S website and plan to do this annually.

Defence Export Services Organisation

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how much of the Defence Export Services Organisation's budget was spent securing naval orders from other EU countries  (a) in 2007-08 and  (b) in each of the previous 10 years;
	(2)  how much of the budget of UK Trade and Investment will be spent on securing naval orders from other EU countries in 2007-08;
	(3)  how many of his Department's staff are employed to secure military procurement orders from other EU countries.

Bob Ainsworth: The Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) currently has 15 staff working full-time in support of UK industry efforts to win business in EU countries at an estimated cost in the current year of some £800,000.
	Records are not kept, for this or previous years, of the proportion of DESO's budget relating to staff time spent on support for efforts to secure naval orders. This information is also not available with respect to other staff in DESO and elsewhere in the Ministry of Defence, who, when required, assist industry to win orders from EU countries.
	UK Trade and Investment will take responsibility for supporting defence trade promotion on 1 April 2008. Its budget is not being used for this purpose until then.

Defence: Expenditure

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of gross domestic product was spent on defence in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2007.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to my answer on 10 October 2007,  Official Report, column 635W, to the hon. Member for Bournemouth, East (Mr. Ellwood).

Defence: Procurement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what  (a) initial gate and  (b) main gate decisions on category (i) A, (ii) B and (iii) C equipment projects are due to be taken over the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 period.

Bob Ainsworth: The timing of MOD investment decisions depends on the maturity of the project. It is not therefore possible to provide a list of projects due to submit initial gate and main gate business cases during the comprehensive spending review 2007 period.
	The investment decisions for projects are taken as soon as the necessary work is complete—any date used within the Department is for planning purposes only.

Defence: Procurement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what category  (a) A,  (b) B and  (c) C projects have been (i) deferred, (ii) reduced and (iii) cancelled at (A) initial gate and (B) main gate since 1997-98.

Bob Ainsworth: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Defence: Procurement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of his Department's planned expenditure on major equipment projects is committed  (a) three years,  (b) six years and  (c) nine years ahead.

Bob Ainsworth: The Department is currently in the process of Planning Round 08 and therefore planned expenditure for equipment projects is currently under consideration.
	The percentage of the Department's planned expenditure on major equipment projects, currently financially committed, is as follows:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 Three years ahead 48 
			 Six years ahead 15 
			 Nine years ahead 3 
		
	
	The answer is based on the projects listed in the National Audit Office Major Projects Report (HC 98-I Session 2007-2008, dated 30 November 2007).

Defence: Procurement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's  (a) pre main gate and  (b) post main gate category A projects were in each year from 1997-98 to 2007-08.

Bob Ainsworth: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Capital Investment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what  (a) percentage and  (b) value of his Department's (i) current and (ii) capital expenditure was paid for in (A) euros, (B) US dollars and (C) other foreign currencies in each year from 1997-98 to 2006-07.

Bob Ainsworth: The Department records all expenditure in its books of accounts in sterling, including that incurred in foreign currency. The values recorded in the accounts are the expenditure in currency converted at the general accounting rate (GAR) for the relevant month. All GARs are based on the cost to the Department of the actual purchases of the individual currencies.
	The net cash requirement (NCR) reported in the departmental resource accounts reflects all cash expenditure incurred by the Department in a year, both current and capital, in all currencies. There is no central analysis by currency of the split between current (revenue) and capital expenditure and this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The overall expenditure in US dollars and euros is shown as follows and as a percentage of the NCR in each year. Details of actual US dollars and euros expenditure for years prior to 2000-01 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   US dollar expenditure  Euro expenditure 
			   Value (£ million)  Percentage of NCR  Value (£ million)  Percentage of NCR 
			 2006-07 1,567 5.0 1,389 4.4 
			 2005-06 1,384 4.5 1,384 4.5 
			 2004-05 1,239 4.2 1,244 4.2 
			 2003-04 1,355 5.0 1,090 4.0 
			 2002-03 1,224 4.7 911 3.5 
			 2001-02 1,190 4.8 730 2.9 
			 2000-01 1,204 5.1 719 3.1 
		
	
	Aggregate expenditure in other currencies is relatively small and is less than 1.5 per cent. of NCR in each of the years shown in the aforementioned table.

Departmental Marketing

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what products featuring departmental or Government branding were procured by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies in each of the last five years.

Derek Twigg: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Departmental Marketing

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many posters or displays there are in the offices of his Department and its agencies displaying the names and photographs of Ministers; and what the cost has been of producing such posters or displays in the last five years.

Derek Twigg: Currently there are no displays or posters containing the names or photos of Ministers in the Ministry of Defence London buildings.
	Between 2003 and 2004 there were no displays produced containing the names or photos of Ministers.
	In May 2005 eight displays were produced for the London buildings at a cost of £2,737.75.
	In May 2006 four displays for the London buildings were produced at a cost of £766.10.
	Accurate information on displays produced by the Defence Agencies, top level budget areas, trading funds, joint headquarters, single service commands and military units is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any of his Department's special advisers also work for organisations outside his Department.

Des Browne: Special advisers are appointed under the terms and conditions set out in the Model Contract and Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

Departmental Pay

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library an index of civilian salaries of his Department's staff, rebased to 2000, for each financial year from 1996-97 to 2006-07.

Derek Twigg: Although DASA publish a military salaries index, a similar index is not available for civilian personnel. A similar index is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Procurement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of his Department's  (a) equipment and  (b) non-equipment vectors of final demand for each of the years 2002-03 to 2006-07.

Bob Ainsworth: The final demand vectors form one part of a complex methodology for deriving the estimates of UK employment dependent on MOD expenditure and defence exports, and associated breakdowns on MOD expenditure in UK industry and commerce. The latest aggregate information on the non equipment and equipment vectors is published by the Defence Analytical Services Agency (DASA) in Table 1.9a of "UK Defence Statistics 2007", a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
	In isolation the raw underlying data used to construct these vectors will not reconcile to these final published estimates as a series of internal adjustments are made to the vectors prior to publication. Moreover, the vectors will also not reconcile to the published MOD resource accounts since they are constructed using cash rather than resource data. To correct these raw figures to make them consistent with published accounts would involve disproportionate cost.
	A full account of the methodology, associated caveats and descriptions of the data sources used to construct these vectors can be found in the DASA "Defence Statistics Bulletins Nos. 5 and 5A", both of which are available in the Library of the House.

Departmental Vehicles

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions since 1997-98 his Department has implemented  (a) mileage restrictions,  (b) track mileage restrictions and  (c) petrol consumption restrictions.

Bob Ainsworth: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

European Fighter Aircraft

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the reasons were for the change of specifications in relation to the Eurofighter cannon; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the cost of adding the cannon option to the Eurofighter was; how many changes to specifications occurred over this capability; and what the end cost was of such changes.

Bob Ainsworth: There is no additional fitting cost because all RAF Typhoon aircraft have always been fitted with a cannon, and nor have there have been changes to the cannon specification. Trials are currently under way to test the activation of the cannon as a potential additional means of delivering an enhanced air-to-surface capability in support of ground forces.

Farnborough Aerodrome

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much TAG paid for the acquisition of the freehold interest in the Farnborough aerodrome.

Derek Twigg: TAG Farnborough Airport Freehold Limited paid the Ministry of Defence £1 million to acquire the freehold interest of Farnborough airport. A premium of £2 million was also paid to the Ministry of Defence when the 99-year lease was granted to TAG Farnborough Airport Limited in February 2003.

Helicopters: Crew

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) inflow and  (b) outflow rate was of helicopter crews in each service in the last period for which figures are available.

Derek Twigg: Available data showing the number of helicopter crew joining the trained strength and leaving each of the services are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Inflow  Outflow 
			  Royal Navy( 1)   
			 Officers 36 16 
			 NCOs 10 7 
			
			  Army Air Corps( 2)   
			 Officers (3)42 (4)22 
			 NCOs (3)— 32 
			  Royal Air Force( 5)   
			 Officers 54 28 
			 NCOs 68 17 
			 (1) Figures given are for the period 1 October 2006 to 30 September 2007. (2) Figures given are for the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007. (3 )Combined. (4) Figures exclude those leaving on retirement. (5) Figures given are for 2007 up to 13 December 2007.

Helicopters: Crew

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) required and  (b) actual strength of helicopter crews is in each service.

Derek Twigg: The current requirement and strength for helicopter crew personnel as at 17 December 2007, broken down by service:
	
		
			  Service  Establishment (requirement)  Actual strength 
			 Army 440 382 
			 Royal Navy 530 460 
			 Royal Air Force 641 628

Hercules Aircraft

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the out of service date for the C130K fleet is.

Bob Ainsworth: The out of service date for the Hercules C-130K fleet is 2012.

Hydrographic Office

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how he plans to clarify the public task of the UK Hydrographic Office, as recommended in the review of that Office; and when he plans to do so.

Derek Twigg: As owner of the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO), I commissioned a review of structural and ownership options in February 2007. The recommendations of the review were announced in December 2007. The work to clarify the UKHO public task will be led by MOD officials together with the UKHO. The officials are currently drawing up a project plan for the work.

Marines

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the peace establishment was of the 40 Commando Royal Marines before its deployment to Afghanistan; what the strength was of the Commando on deployment; how many reinforcements to the Commando were received from  (a) the regular Army,  (b) the Territorial Army,  (c) the Royal Navy and  (d) the Royal Marine Reserves; how many of all ranks were (i) left behind on recruitment duties, (ii) physically unfit to deploy and (iii) left behind in barracks to form a rear party; and what the Commando's battle casualty replacement policy is.

Bob Ainsworth: Prior to deploying to Afghanistan in September 2007, the peacetime establishment of 40 Commando Royal Marines was 700; the strength of 40 Cdo RM on deployment was less than 20 short of the peacetime establishment; there were no reinforcements from the Regular Army or the Royal Navy; fewer than 10 from the Territorial Army; and 80 from the Royal Marine Reserves and Royal Naval Reserves. There were no individuals left behind in barracks on recruitment duties and on the date deployed fewer than 20 RMs remained in barracks unfit to deploy. Fewer than 30 RMs remained in barracks to form the rear party. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 100 or where less than 100, to the nearest 10 as appropriate.
	The policy on battle casualty replacement was to utilise appropriately trained personnel identified in theatre. In order to rectify a deficiency arising in a specific skill, trained replacements would be requested and deployed forward from the United Kingdom.

Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability Programme

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Government plan to put the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability project out to EU tender.

Bob Ainsworth: The Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) programme consists of three classes of ships (Fleet Tanker, Fleet Solid Support and Joint Sea Based Logistic), which will carry fuel, stores and provide logistic support for maritime and expeditionary forces including the Future Carrier. MARS Fleet Tankers will be procured competitively and the design and build requirement was advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union on 10 December 2007. No decisions have yet been made however, as to where the ships will finally be built. The procurement strategies for later ship classes in the MARS programme are still under development to ensure flexibility within the programme.

Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability Programme

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions have taken place with staff at BAE Govan and Scotstoun about the procurement of the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability project.

Bob Ainsworth: The Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) Integrated Project Team has ongoing dialogue with a number of key players in the shipbuilding industry, including BAE Systems. BAE Systems attended the MARS Industry day in November 2007 and has registered its interest in delivering the Fleet Tanker (FT) element of the MARS programme. Upon request, those interested in delivering the FT have been provided with a pre qualification questionnaire and, if returned, this will be evaluated during February and March 2008.
	Procurement strategies for later ship classes in the MARS programme are still under development to ensure flexibility within the programme.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of each helicopter type in the  (a) Army Air Corps,  (b) Royal Navy and  (c) RAF are (i) in service and (ii) fit for purpose.

Bob Ainsworth: The numbers and types of helicopters utilised by the Royal Navy, Army Air Corps and Royal Air Force which are in the forward fleet and considered fit for purpose are detailed in the following table. Forward fleet aircraft are those that are available to the front line command for operational and training purposes (i.e. those not in depth maintenance). Aircraft defined as fit for purpose are those considered capable of carrying out their planned missions on a given date.
	
		
			   Forward fleet  Percentage of total fleet  Fit for purpose  Percentage of forward fleet 
			  Royal Navy 
			 Sea King HC Mk4 and 6 31 74 12 39 
			 Lynx Mk 3 and 8 41 65 25 61 
			 Merlin Mk 1 27 71 12 44 
			 Sea King Mk 5 11 73 6 55 
			 Sea King Mk 7 9 69 6 67 
			  
			  Army Air Corps 
			 Apache AH Mkl 48 72 25 52 
			 Augusta A 109 4 100 3 75 
			 Lynx AH Mk 7 and 9 57 58 33 58 
			 Gazelle HC Mk 1 45 62 36 80 
			  
			  Royal Air Force 
			 Chinook HC Mk 2 26 65 17 65 
			 Merlin HC Mk 3 15 68 8 53 
			 Puma HC Mk 1 21 55 14 67 
			 SAR Sea King Mk 3/3a 17 68 9 53 
		
	
	The figures shown are the average for the month of November 2007. The number of helicopters fit for purpose will vary from day to day due, primarily, to routine maintenance requirements. Operational capability is measured in terms of flying hours rather than the number of airframes available.
	These figures do not include the six RAF Merlin helicopters recently acquired from Denmark or the eight RAF Chinook Mark 3 helicopters that are being converted to a battlefield support role.

Military Attaches

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK defence attachés and advisers there are  (a) at each UK diplomatic post,  (b) in each region of the world and  (c) in total; what their responsibilities are; how many defence attaché posts have been (i) established and (ii) discontinued at each diplomatic post since 1997; and what effect the withdrawal of Foreign and Commonwealth Office funding for the defence attaché network has had on his Department's plans for its funding.

Bob Ainsworth: The following table shows resident attachés by country and by region. Other countries are covered on a non-resident basis.
	
		
			  Region/country  Defence attaché/defence adviser  Military attaché  Naval attaché  Air attaché  Country total 
			  Asia Pacific  
			 Afghanistan 1 — — — 1 
			 Australia 1 1 x MA/AA 2 
			 Bangladesh 1 — — — 1 
			 Brunei 1 — — — 1 
			 China 1 1 1 x NA/AA 3 
			 India(1) 1 1 x NA/AA 2 
			 Indonesia 1 — — — 1 
			 Japan 1 — — — 1 
			 Korea 1 — 1 x NA/AA 2 
			 Malaysia 1 — — — 1 
			 Nepal 1 1 x AMA 2 
			 New Zealand 1 — — — 1 
			 Pakistan(2) 1 — 1 x NA/AA 2 
			 Singapore 1 — — — 1 
			 Sri Lanka 1 — — — 1 
			 Thailand 1 — — — 1 
			  Region total  23 
			   
			  Central Europe and Western Balkans  
			 Albania 1 — — — 1 
			 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 — — — 1 
			 Croatia 1 — — — 1 
			 Czech Republic 1 — — — 1 
			 Lithuania 1 — — — 1 
			 Macedonia 1 — — — 1 
			 Poland 1 1 x NA/MA 2 
			 Serbia 1 — — — 1 
			  Region total  9 
			   
			  Commonwealth of Independent States and the Black Sea  
			 Bulgaria 1 — — — 1 
			 Georgia 1 — — — 1 
			 Kazakhstan 1 — — — 1 
			 Romania 1 — — — 1 
			 Russia(3) 1 2 2 1 6 
			 Ukraine 1 — — — 1 
			  Region total  11 
			   
			  Latin America and Caribbean  
			 Argentina 1 — — 1 2 
			 Barbados 1 — — — 1 
			 Brazil 1 — — — 1 
			 Chile 1 — — — 1 
			 Colombia 1 — — — 1 
			 Guatemala 1 — — — 1 
			 Jamaica 1 — — — 1 
			  Region total  8 
			   
			  Mediterranean  
			 Algeria 1 — — — 1 
			 Cyprus 1 — — — 1 
			 Greece 1 — 1 x NA/AA 2 
			 Italy 1 — 1 x NA/AA 2 
			 Morocco 1 — — — 1 
			 Portugal 1 — — — 1 
			 Spain 1 1 x Dep DA 2 
			 Turkey 1 1 x NA/MA 2 
			  Region total  12 
			   
			  Middle and Near East  
			 Bahrain 1 — — — 1 
			 Egypt 1 — — — 1 
			 Iraq 1 — — — 1 
			 Israel 1 — 1 x NA/AA 2 
			 Jordan 1 — — 1 2 
			 Kuwait 1 — — — 1 
			 Lebanon 1 — — — 1 
			 Oman 1 — 1 x NA/AA 2 
			 Qatar 1 — — — 1 
			 Saudi Arabia 1 1 x NA/MA 2 
			 Syria 1 — — — 1 
			 United Arab Emirates 1 — — — 1 
			 Yemen 1 — — — 1 
			  Region total  17 
			   
			  North America and Western Europe  
			 Austria 1 1 x Dep DA 2 
			 Canada 1 — 1 x NA/AA 2 
			 Denmark 1 — — — 1 
			 Finland 1 — — — 1 
			 France 1 1 1 — 3 
			 Germany 1 1 1 x NA/AA 3 
			 Netherlands 1 — — — 1 
			 Norway 1 — — — 1 
			 Sweden 1 — — — 1 
			 United States of America 2 2 2 2 8 
			 UK Mission to UN New York — 2 — — 2 
			  Region total  25 
			   
			  Sub-Saharan Africa  
			 Congo, Democratic Republic of (DRC) 1 — — — 1 
			 Ethiopia 1 — — — 1 
			 Ghana 1 — — — 1 
			 Kenya 1 — — — 1 
			 Nigeria 1 — — — 1 
			 Sierra Leone 1 — — — 1 
			 South Africa 1 — 1 x NA/AA 2 
			 Sudan 1 — — — 1 
			 Uganda 1 — — — 1 
			 Zimbabwe 1 — — — 1 
			  Region total  11 
			   
			 Total 116 
			 (1) DA is supported by an Assistant DA.  (2 )DA is supported by an Assistant DA.  (3) DA is also the AA and is supported by an Assistant Air Attaché shown under the Air Attaché column above. 
		
	
	The role of defence attachés is to promote the Government's policies in the area of international security co-operation. The principal components of this policy are to strengthen international peace and stability by preventing conflicts, contributing to the transformation of the security structures of vulnerable states, assisting and building partnerships with those who may contribute to peace support operations and by reducing the risk of terrorism through greater co-operation and communication.
	The following table details the changes to the MoD's attaché network by country since 1997.
	
		
			  Country  1997( 1)  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007( 2)  2008( 3) 
			 Afghanistan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			 Albania 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Algeria 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 
			 Angola 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 
			 Argentina 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Australia 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Austria(4) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 
			 Bahrain 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Bangladesh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 
			 Belgium 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Barbados 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 
			 Brazil 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 
			 Brunei 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Bulgaria 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 
			 Canada 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Chile 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 China 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 
			 Colombia 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Congo, Democratic Republic of (DRC) 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Croatia 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Cyprus 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Czech Republic 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 
			 Denmark 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Egypt 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 
			 Ethiopia 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Finland 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 France 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 
			 Georgia 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Germany 4 4 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 
			 Ghana 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Greece 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Guatemala 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Hungary 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 
			 India 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Indonesia 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Iraq 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 
			 Ireland 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 
			 Israel 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Italy 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Jamaica 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Japan 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Jordan 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Kazakhstan 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Kenya 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Korea 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Kuwait 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Latvia 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 
			 Lebanon 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Lithuania 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Macedonia 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Malaysia 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 
			 Mexico 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Morocco 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Nepal 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 
			 Netherlands 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 New Zealand 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Nigeria 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Norway 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Oman 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Pakistan 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Philippines 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 
			 Poland 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Portugal 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Qatar 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Romania 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 
			 Russia 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 
			 Saudi Arabia 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Serbia (formerly FRY) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Sierra Leone 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Singapore 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Slovakia 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 0 
			 Slovenia 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 
			 South Africa 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Spain 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Sri Lanka 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Sudan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 
			 Sweden 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Switzerland 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Syria 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Thailand 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Turkey 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Uganda 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Ukraine 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 
			 United Arab Emirates 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 United States of America 7 7 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 
			 UK Mission to UN New York 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Uzbekistan 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 
			 Venezuela 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 
			 Yemen 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 
			 Zimbabwe 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Totals 116 117 125 122 128 127 129 125 128 124 119 116 
			 (1 )Based on available records from 1996. No changes are shown in available records from 1997.  (2 )Includes changes from the third quarter of 07.  (3 )Correct figures as at 16 January 2008.  (4 )Vienna is now also used as a base for a co-located DA covering Switzerland, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia. 
		
	
	The MOD will continue to maintain a Defence Attaché network that is effective and relevant to our international interests.

Military Equipment: Iraq

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what military equipment the UK gifted to Iraqi forces in each year since 2003;
	(2)  what military equipment the Government plan to gift to Iraq over the next 12 months.  [Official Report, 26 February 2008, Vol. 472, c. 15MC.]

Des Browne: The UK has gifted a range of military equipment and infrastructure to prepare the Iraqi security forces to be self-sufficient in the management of their own security.
	The following military equipment has been supplied by HMG to the Iraqi Government for use by the Iraqi security forces. A list of security related equipment has also been provided for completeness:
	 2005 Military Equipment
	6,500 AK47 assault rifles
	5.3 million rounds of 7.62mm ammunition
	25,058 sets of body armour
	2,500 helmets
	2,000 sets of public order equipment
	7,444 Kevlar helmets
	308 high frequency radios
	992 Binoculars
	69 GPS
	42 GPS with radio
	12 sets of urban operations equipment
	450,000 rounds of AK47 blank ammunition (for training purposes)
	500,000 rounds of PKM (light machine gun) blank ammunition (for training purposes)
	438 Underslung grenade launchers (UGL) for AK47s
	18,400 UGL rounds
	36,800 UGL training rounds
	5,666 x 9mm pistols
	850,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition
	3,000 personal radios handset
	50 operations room radios
	200 vehicle radios
	79 refurbished armoured Land Rovers
	774 light machine guns (PKMs)
	5 million rounds of ammunition for the PKMs
	1,150 light machine guns (RPKs)
	211 high frequency radios
	16 high frequency base station fixed installation kits.
	The following security related equipment has also been gifted:
	2 luggage x-ray machines
	3 archway metal detectors
	27 hand-held metal detectors
	15 under vehicle search mirrors
	211 pick-up vehicles
	12 water trucks
	9 flat bed trucks
	Networked data/voice capability (local area network)
	Refurbishment of 24 boats.
	 2006 Military Equipment
	90 Dshka 12.7mm heavy machine guns
	6,300 9mm pistols
	85 medium machine guns
	12 Dragunov sniper rifles
	20,500 helmets
	14,500 pairs of boots
	734 Motorola GM160 VHP radios with microphone and antenna.
	The following security related equipment has also been gifted:
	415 Iraqi Police Service patrol cars
	319 Iraqi Police Service 4x4 patrol cars.
	Our records indicate that no military or security-related equipment was gifted to Iraq in 2003 or 2004; none was gifted in 2007. Currently, we have no plans to gift military equipment in future.

Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency: Recruitment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Ministry of Defence police officers were recruited for service in each year since 1997.

Derek Twigg: The figures for the number of Ministry of Defence police (MDP) officers recruited since 1997 are provided in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of MDP officers recruited 
			 1997 0 
			 1998 39 
			 1999 61 
			 2000 55 
			 2001 63 
			 2002 126 
			 2003 252 
			 2004 233 
			 2005 272 
			 2006 220 
			 2007 140 
			 Total 1,461

QinetiQ

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how much has been received from QinetiQ following the sale of each former Government-owned site as a result of the clawback agreement; and in relation to which sites the money has been received;
	(2)  in relation to the sale of which sites he expects to receive monies from QinetiQ as a result of the clawback agreement during 2008; how much he expects to receive in relation to each such site; and for which sites he does not expect to receive monies;
	(3)  what acreage of land has been transferred from his Department to QinetiQ; how much of that land has subsequently been disposed of and at what price; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The requested information is not held centrally or in a consistent form. However, it should be possible to compile the requested information without incurring disproportionate cost. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as the work has been completed and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

RAF Innsworth: NATO Rapid Reaction Corps

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he anticipates the Rapid Reaction Corps will move to RAF Innsworth; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The BORONA Programme is drawing up detailed plans for the move of the Headquarters Allied Rapid Reaction Corps to the Innsworth site. The exact timing of the move is subject to ongoing consideration.

Shipbuilding: Glasgow

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment the Government have made of the future viability of Govan and Scotstoun without work from the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability project.

Bob Ainsworth: The MOD is working closely with industry, including BAE Systems, to ensure that a sustainable UK maritime sector is able to support the needs of the Royal Navy both now and in the future.
	At this stage, in the timescales required for procurement of the MARS tankers, there is more than sufficient work from other maritime programmes to sustain the required on-shore design and build capability.

Shipbuilding: Glasgow

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many orders the Government have helped secure for Govan and Scotstoun from other EU countries.

Bob Ainsworth: The Government's support for naval sales has helped to bring work for a number of UK shipyards, including Scotstoun. But no orders from EU countries have brought work to Govan or Scotstoun in recent years.

Territorial Army: Motor Vehicles

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what forms Territorial Army personnel have to complete in order to take a vehicle out.

Bob Ainsworth: All military personnel are required to hold a valid Form Military Transport (FMT) 600 before they may take a service vehicle out.
	Additionally, any TA soldier required to undertake a driving duty must complete a Reserve Forces Certificate of Employment stating what activity that soldier has undertaken in the week preceding the driving activity.
	Individual units may have local forms and procedures for completion before any type of vehicle is taken out in order to manage their vehicle fleets.

Trident

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of whether a new production plant for highly enriched uranium is needed for Trident nuclear warheads.

Des Browne: It is currently assessed that existing stocks of highly enriched uranium are sufficient to meet the needs of the Trident warhead programme.
	In 1995 the UK declared a moratorium on the future production of fissile material. This was reaffirmed in the 2006 White Paper on the Future of the UK's Nuclear Deterrent. Negotiating a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty, banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons, remains the UK's disarmament priority.

Vetting

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2008,  Official Report, column 891W, on vetting, which other Government Departments use the Defence Vetting Agency for vetting  (a) applicants for security clearance and  (b) employees.

Bob Ainsworth: The Defence Vetting Agency (DVA) undertakes the role of an approved Shared Service Provider for various Other Governments Departments (OGDs). The DVA reflects the relationship between itself and these repayment customers in a series of Customer Supplier Agreements. Applications for vetting can cover both direct employees and staff undergoing the recruitment process but also, contractor personnel engaged in support of Government approved contracts. The DVA presently conducts selected personnel security vetting inquiries for the following:
	British Telecommunications Plc
	Competition Commission
	Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service
	Crown Prosecution Service
	Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
	Department for Children, Schools and Families
	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills
	Department for Transport
	Department for Work and Pensions
	Department of Culture, Media and Sport
	Department of Health
	ESTYN (HM Majesty's Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales)
	Export Credits Guarantee Department
	Financial Services Authority
	Food Standards Agency
	Gambling Commission (parent organisation—Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
	Government Car and Despatch Agency
	Health and Safety Executive
	HM Revenue and Customs
	HM Treasury
	Home Office (incorporating the Association of Chief Police Officers)
	Metropolitan Police Service
	Ministry of Justice
	National Archives
	National Assembly for Wales
	National Audit Office
	Northern Ireland Office
	O2(UK) Plc
	Olympic Delivery Authority
	Office for Civil Nuclear Security
	Office for Standards in Education
	Office for the Gas and Electricity Markets
	Office of Communications
	Office of Fair Trading
	Office of Government Commerce
	Ordnance Survey
	Registers of Scotland
	Royal Mail Group
	Scottish Court Service
	Scottish Government
	Serious Fraud Office
	Serious Organised Crime Agency
	Stabilisation Unit (parent organisation—Department for International Development)
	The Treasury Solicitor.

World War II: Prisoners of War

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information his Department holds on the amount of compensation paid by the German Government for British prisoners of war of the Second World War.

Derek Twigg: No money has been paid by the German authorities specifically to provide compensation for former British prisoners of war (POWs).
	In 1964, the then Federal Republic of Germany paid £1 million to the British Government to provide compensation for victims of Nazi persecution. The scheme focused on survivors of Nazi Concentration Camps. Servicemen held as ordinary POWs and civilian internees held in non-concentration camps were excluded. In the late-1990s, a fund totalling some £3.3 billion was set up by the German Government and industry to make payments to those civilians who were forced labourers. Again, service personnel held as POWs were excluded.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Capita

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings  (a) he,  (b) Ministers in his Department and  (c) officials have held with (i) directors and (ii) senior executives of (A) Capita Group plc and (B) its subsidiaries since 1 January 2001; what the (1) location and (2) duration of each meeting was; whether a record of each meeting was kept; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and advice. It is not the usual practice of Government to disclose details of such meetings.

Colombia: Human Rights

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on alleged murders of civilians and breaches of human rights by soldiers of the Colombian Army, in particular the High Mountain Battalions.

Kim Howells: I am concerned at continuing allegations of some Colombian policemen and army personnel being involved in abuses. I have raised these concerns with the Colombian Government, including when I visited Colombia in November 2007. However, it is clear that illegal armed groups and terrorist organisations such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia are responsible for the majority of abuses in Colombia, as acknowledged in the 2006 report of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia.
	Helping the Government and civil society in Colombia to protect and promote the basic human rights of all Colombians is a priority for this Government. A large part of our bilateral assistance programme, including with the Colombian armed forces, is focused on human rights. I am satisfied that no UK assistance is being used to commit human rights abuses, directly or indirectly. We have received no evidence to suggest that this is the case.

Departmental Databases

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what requirements his Department and its agencies place on contractors in relation to the audit of personal data and IT equipment.

Meg Munn: The only substantial contracts the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has for the processing of personal data are with two commercial partners responsible for the collection and administration of visa applications from foreign nationals wishing to travel to the UK. Both contracts contain clauses committing the partner to conformity with ISO27001, the international standard relating to the security of data systems, requiring auditable processes, and to compliance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act. The contracts also provide for surprise audits of partner premises by UKvisas. More generally, FCO model contracts contain specific clauses obliging the contractor to abide by the provisions of the Data Protection Act and empowering the FCO to ensure compliance.

Departmental Equality

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been spent by his Department  (a) in total and  (b) on staff costs on promoting equality and diversity in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many people are employed by his Department for this purpose.

Meg Munn: The information requested by the hon. Member is as follows:
	
		
			  Total expenditure on diversity 
			   £ 
			 2007-08 (1)277,815.82 
			 2006-07 (2)47,090.50 
			 2005-06 (2)98,955.00 
			 (1) Of which £118,110.82 on training. (2) Training only. 
		
	
	2007-08 is the first year for which the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has a dedicated diversity budget for initiatives outside of training.
	2007-08 is the first year, in the past three, where there have been dedicated officials working solely on promoting equality and diversity. The total cost of the staff working on equality and diversity issues in 2007-08 is £267,382.00 per annum.
	The FCO has one full-time employee promoting equality and diversity who is assisted, on a temporary basis, by the equivalent of 3.9 full-time staff.

Departmental Internet

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 13 December 2007,  Official Report, column 828W, on Departmental Internet, how many times each individual blog has been visited since it was established.

Meg Munn: The statistics available to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for the blogging platform since its launch are for the site as a whole and not for individual blogs. Since the launch, on 26 September 2007, there have been 181,959 visits to the blogging platform, of which there were 554,259 individual page views.

Departmental Marketing

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what products featuring departmental or Government branding were procured by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies in each of the last five years.

Meg Munn: This information is not held centrally and it would incur disproportionate cost to collate.

Departmental Marketing

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many posters or displays there are in the offices of his Department and its agencies displaying the names and photographs of Ministers; and what the cost has been of producing such posters or displays in the last five years.

Meg Munn: The information requested by the hon. Member is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisors

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any of his Department's special advisers also work for organisations outside his Department.

David Miliband: Special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the "Model Contract" and "Code of Conduct for Special Advisers", copies of which are in the Library of the House.

Derek Pasquill: Official Secrets

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the classification of any of the documents disclosed by Mr. Derek Pasquill has been amended since the submission to the police of the Department's considered assessment of the damage caused to international relations under Section 3 of the Official Secrets Act 1989 by Mr. Pasquill's disclosures.

Meg Munn: None of the classifications have been changed.

Derek Pasquill: Official Secrets

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Ministers approved, before it was presented to the police, the witness statement by his Department setting out its considered assessment of the damage caused to international relations under Section 3 of the Official Secrets Act 1989 by Mr. Derek Pasquill's disclosures.

Meg Munn: The witness statement was given by a senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office official on behalf of the Department. Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Ministers were briefed on its contents.

Derek Pasquill: Official Secrets

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library copies of those documents the disclosure of which formed the basis of the prosecution of Mr. Derek Pasquill for breaches of the Official Secrets Act 1989.

Meg Munn: These documents have remained in the public domain since they were first disclosed.

Diplomatic Service: EU Nationals

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs under what circumstances British embassies provide services to citizens of EU member states who lack diplomatic representation in a particular country; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: Under article 20 of the treaty establishing the European Community, every citizen of the EU, in the territory of a third country in which the member state of which he or she is a national does not have diplomatic or consular representation, is entitled to protection by the diplomatic or consular authorities of any member state, on the same conditions as the nationals of that state. In some countries there are local arrangements between the missions of EU member states whereby each provides consular assistance to the nationals of a number of unrepresented states.

Disclosure of Information

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many documents disclosed without authorisation by Mr. Derek Pasquill formed the basis for his prosecution for breaches of the Official Secrets Act 1989.

Meg Munn: The Crown Prosecution Service brought charges under the Official Secrets Act 1989 on six of the documents disclosed by Mr. Pasquill.

Disclosure of Information

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of whether the public disclosure now of  (a) all or  (b) some of the documents first disclosed by Mr. Derek Pasquill and which formed the basis of his prosecution for breaches of the Official Secrets Act 1989 would harm international relations.

Meg Munn: The documents have remained in the public domain since they were first disclosed. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office provided a witness statement to the police, in December 2006, setting out its considered assessment of the damage caused, by the disclosures. We have made no subsequent damage assessment.

Disclosure of Information

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the witness statement to the police by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office setting out the Government's assessment of the damage caused under section 3 of the Official Secrets Act 1989 to international relations by Mr. Derek Pasquill's disclosures.

Meg Munn: The Witness Statement is a police document, produced as part of a criminal investigation, which the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is therefore not at liberty to disclose.

European Directorate

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff work in his Department's European Directorate; what the cost of such staff was in 2006-07; and what each Directorate member's responsibilities are.

Jim Murphy: The following table charts the number of Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials working in the European Union Directorate for 2006-07 and for 2005-06 for comparison. The staff numbers and costs are average figures.
	
		
			   2005-06  2006-07 
			   Staff numbers  Cost (£ million)  Staff numbers  Cost (£ million) 
			 EU home 199 9.9 138 7 
			 EU overseas 761 40.2 650 35 
			 Total 960 50.1 788 42 
		
	
	It would incur disproportionate cost to provide the right hon. Member with details of each individual's responsibilities in the directorate.

Humanitarian Aid: Medals

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will bring forward proposals to create a humanitarian service medal or similar recognition for British civilians operating on behalf of the Government in hostile environments.

Meg Munn: A humanitarian service medal, to reward British civilians working for international organisations overseas, is currently under consideration by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Ministry of Defence and Cabinet Office.

Indonesia: Export Credit Guarantees

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what communications he has had with the Indonesian Government on its outstanding debts to the UK Export Credits Guarantee Department in the last six months.

Meg Munn: Over the last six months, our embassy officials have on several occasions discussed the rescheduling of some elements of Indonesian debts to the Export Credits Guarantee Department with the relevant Indonesian authorities.
	The Government of Indonesia owes the Export Credits Guarantee Department about £507 million plus US$400 million. These debts have been rescheduled in the Paris Club along with those of other Paris Club creditors. In addition to rescheduling Indonesia's debts through the Paris Club, the UK has also provided Indonesia with direct aid. In 2006-07, the Department for International Development provided £60 million to Indonesia to help it meet the Millennium Development Goals. This money was used for a range of poverty reducing programmes, including improving maternal health, tackling HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, and for support to forestry.

Industrial Disputes

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is the policy of Ministers in his Department to cross embassy staff picket lines in cases of industrial disputes.

David Miliband: In the event of an industrial dispute, as at all other times, Ministers act in accordance with their duties under the Ministerial Code.

Legalisation Office: Milton Keynes

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to move the Legalisation Office to Milton Keynes; which private sector users have been consulted; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I made on 29 October 2007,  Official Report, column 25WS.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the viability of a one state, equal rights solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Kim Howells: The UK has made no recent assessment of the viability of such a solution. Our position remains that the solution to the Israeli—Palestinian conflict is a two states solution: a democratic viable Palestinian state living in peace, side by side with Israel.

Middle East: Diplomatic Service

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to his Sunday Times article of 6 January 2008, how many staff he intends to transfer from Europe to the Middle East and South Asia in financial years 2008-09 to 2010-11.

Meg Munn: Around 60 front line policy staff from Europe will be transferred.

Military Attaches

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons his Department decided to withdraw its funding for the UK defence attaché network; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: As part of the recent comprehensive spending review, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Ministers considered carefully the relative priority of all of our expenditure and took the view that the FCO could not provide funding to the Defence Attaché network at the expense of FCO priorities.
	This decision was shared with the Ministry of Defence at an early stage.

Military Attaches

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what interim arrangements his Department has made with the Ministry of Defence on the funding of defence attachés at UK diplomatic posts following his Department's decision to withdraw its funding.

David Miliband: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has agreed to put a ceiling on the charges it will ask the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to pay during the one-year transitional period, from the previous position of not charging the MOD to the future position of charging full economic costs from April 2009. The exact details have not yet been finalised.

Republic of Ireland: Embassies

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on proposed redundancies at HM Embassy, Dublin.

Meg Munn: As part of its refocus of resources towards growth opportunities in emerging markets there will be a reduction in UK Trade and Investment's (UKTI) Dublin operation. This move is in line with UKTI's strategy to transfer resources to a number of key emerging markets. There will, however, remain an important role for Dublin's UKTI team which is being restructured to meet the needs of a mature market in a globalised economy.
	Our embassy in Dublin has followed established consultation procedures with staff throughout. If redundancies do prove necessary, the package they offer will fully meet the requirements of Irish labour law.

Sri Lanka: Armed Conflict

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the consequences of the end of the ceasefire in Sri Lanka.

Kim Howells: The Government view the abrogation of the internationally-brokered Sri Lanka cease-fire agreement as a matter of great regret. I refer my hon. Friend to my statement during the debate on Sri Lanka in the House on 17 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 1183-88.

Tour Operators: Health Services

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether UK travel operators are obliged to notify the Government when their clients require hospitalisation while on holiday  (a) in another EU member state and  (b) outside the EU.

Meg Munn: UK travel operators are not obliged to notify the Government when their clients require hospitalisation while on holiday in another EU member state or outside the EU. However, recent guidelines issued by the Federation of Tour Operators, the organisation which represents the major UK tour operators, suggest that operators should notify British consular officials of any customer they expect will have to stay beyond their scheduled departure date due to unexpected circumstances such as hospitalisation.

Turkmenistan: Politics and Government

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political and economic situation in Turkmenistan.

Jim Murphy: Since coming to power, President Berdimuhamedov has carried out some reforms but has not yet changed the fundamental political and economic character of the country. For example, he has instituted agricultural and educational reform, and modified pensions. He has relaxed travel restrictions and broadened internet access. He has encouraged students to travel abroad for education and members of the Government to learn from the experience of other countries. He has increased Turkmenistan's engagement with other countries and improved relations both with its neighbours and with the wider world.
	Under President Berdimuhamedov, Turkmenistan has engaged more with the UN, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and EU on human rights, including by extending invitations to experts to visit the country. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the previous OSCE Chairman-in-Office, the current OSCE Secretary-General and the Director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), have all visited this year and have received assurances of co-operation from the President, including on electoral reform. ODIHR sent a needs assessment mission to the presidential election in February 2007. The Government have agreed to a comprehensive EU/UN human rights project. There have been some limited releases of political prisoners.
	In late December 2007, President Berdimuhamedov announced reforms which will eventually lead to the abolition of the dual exchange rate. This is a welcome step, although it will take time to work through the economy.
	Given the nature of the previous regime, it remains too early to assess the full extent and the ultimate direction of reform, but the signs are encouraging. With our EU and other partners, we will continue to work with Turkmenistan in support of the President's reform agenda.

USA: Diplomatic Service

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role is played by the British embassy in Washington to facilitate visits by British subjects to US administration sites including the Pentagon.

Kim Howells: Our embassy in Washington assists with official visits to Washington and the US where requested, including those which involve visits to US Administration sites such as the Pentagon. All other requests for access to US Administration sites are usually directed to the relevant US institution.

Uzbekistan: Elections

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the conduct of elections in Uzbekistan in December 2007;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with other countries on the conduct of elections in Uzbekistan in December 2007.

Jim Murphy: Our ambassador in Tashkent discussed the elections with other embassies, and took part in the EU heads of mission discussions on the outcome of the election.
	The EU issued a presidency statement on behalf of EU member states on 27 December 2007 which noted with concern that the presidential election did not meet many Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) commitments and other international standards for democratic elections, and that the recommendations issued by the OSCE/Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) after the 2004 parliamentary elections had not yet been implemented.
	ODIHR conducted a limited observation mission. It noted that there were more candidates than in previous presidential elections including a female and a non-partisan candidate. However, the electorate was deprived of a genuine choice as all the candidates publicly endorsed the incumbent.
	With our EU partners, we stand ready to assist Uzbekistan to co-operate with ODIHR to bring its election process and framework in line with OSCE commitments and other international standards for democratic elections.

Zimbabwe: Sanctions

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department is holding with  (a) the European Commission and  (b) the US Administration to strengthen the sanctions regime in relation to Zimbabwe.

Meg Munn: We are in regular contact with EU and US partners on Zimbabwe regarding the application of our respective targeted measures and how they might be strengthened. We strongly support the renewal of the EU's targeted measures for a further 12 months from February 2008. We would not hesitate to recommend the addition of further names to the list of persons referred to in the EU Common Position on Zimbabwe in response to human rights abuses or specific events.

Zimbabwe: Sanctions

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1363W, on Zimbabwe: sanctions, if he will make representations to  (a) the European Commission and  (b) other EU-member states to (i) increase the number of and (ii) share information on bank accounts frozen as part of economic sanctions against Zimbabwe.

Meg Munn: The UK can freeze accounts only in the names of listed persons. If further names are added to the EU regulation, any funds and economic resources held by those persons will be frozen. The UK will encourage other member states, through its participation in the relevant Brussels working groups, to share information regarding the funds they have frozen.

Zimbabwe: Sequestration of Assets

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been frozen in bank accounts under economic sanctions taken against Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: EU member states do not systematically share detailed information for Zimbabwe, or other sanctions regimes, concerning the value of funds they have identified and frozen. However, they are legally obliged to freeze all funds and economic resources belonging to persons listed under the sanctions regime. It is prohibited to make funds or economic resources available, directly or indirectly, to these persons. The reported balance of UK frozen funds amounts to over £170,000.
	The UK is firmly committed to the full implementation of all EU sanctions, along with our EU partners.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Aerials

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what consideration has been given to making mobile telecommunications mast-sharing a requirement of future licence applications.

Stephen Timms: The Government encourage site and mast sharing by mobile telecommunications operators as part of developed planning policy, specifically under Planning Policy Guidance Note 8. The independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), is permitted to grant powers under the Electronic Communications Code to operators, and would encourage the sharing of electronic communications apparatus whenever it considers applications.
	Operators with plans to share sites and masts must ensure that any proposals for infrastructure sharing do not breach the terms of their licence under the Wireless Telegraphy Act issued by Ofcom. The mobile network operators are committed to voluntary site sharing, and all have reciprocal mast sharing agreements already in place for standard mast sharing, redevelopment of existing masts and joint development of new masts.

Aerials

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) 3,  (b) O2,  (c) Orange,  (d) T Mobile and  (e) Vodaphone mobile telecommunication masts that are shared; and between which companies each is shared.

Stephen Timms: The matter raised is the responsibility of the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to reply directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the chief executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Bankruptcy: Greater London

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many businesses in each London borough filed for bankruptcy  (a) less than five years,  (b) less than 10 years,  (c) less than 20 years and  (d) more than 20 years after their establishment in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The information requested is not readily available and to attempt to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. The figures given as follows are the best that can be provided in the time available from information held centrally.
	Table 1 records the number of individual bankruptcy orders in the London region (classified according to the Official Receiver's (OR) offices), for those cases where trading information was available. The figures are broken down by the length of trading period (years). Table 2 shows a similar breakdown for company compulsory liquidations.
	It should particularly be noted that the only information held on which to base 'length of establishment' is the trading start and end dates, but that this is only available for on average 25 per cent. of trading bankrupts and 20 per cent. of compulsory liquidations over the period requested (nationally). This means that these figures should be interpreted with extreme caution and should not be considered to be representative of the totality of trading bankrupts or company liquidations during the period in question.
	A breakdown by length of establishment is not available by London borough. Further, it should be noted that there are movements of individual OR's offices between broader regions which coincide with financial years, notably in FY 2004-05, Croydon OR's office moved from Anglia to London region. This means that the statistics cannot be treated as a consistent time series.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of individual bankruptcy orders by length of time trading, in the London region, 1997-98 to 2006-07( 1, 2) 
			   Trading length (years)  
			  Financial year  Less than equal to 5  6-10  11-20  More than 20  Total cases trading length available 
			 1997-98 37 19 12 3 71 
			 1998-99 10 7 3 1 21 
			 1999-2000 54 21 17 7 99 
			 2000-01 62 26 13 7 108 
			 2001-02 40 17 17 4 78 
			 2002-03 67 12 8 7 94 
			 2003-04 76 22 19 9 126 
			 2004-05 99 31 16 8 154 
			 2005-06 132 23 17 5 177 
			 2006-07 333 25 16 1 375 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of company compulsory liquidations by length of time trading, in the London region, 1997-98 to 2006-07( 1, 2) 
			   Trading length (years)   
			  Financial year  Less than equal to 5  6-10  11-20  More than 20  Total cases trading length available  Total number of compulsory liquidations 
			 1997-98 61 6 2 5 74 1,225 
			 1998-99 120 11 6 4 141 1,370 
			 1999-2000 158 26 6 9 199 1,047 
			 2000-01 117 20 13 3 153 993 
			 2001-02 147 17 10 3 177 866 
			 2002-03 198 39 8 5 250 1,211 
			 2003-04 173 21 13 7 214 823 
			 2004-05 104 11 2 6 123 1,137 
			 2005-06 72 19 8 3 102 1,364 
			 2006-07 156 22 9 13 200 1,651 
			 (1) Croydon Official Receiver's office is classified under London region from 2004-05 onwards. It was previously classified under the Anglia region. (2) From 2004-05 onwards, the figures also include public interest unit (PIU) and carousel.

Carbon Emissions: Utilities

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the changes in levels of carbon dioxide emissions which  (a) has resulted since 2002 and  (b) is expected to result by 2027 from the progressive switch to natural gas in electricity generation.

Malcolm Wicks: The share of gas in electricity generation has fallen since 2002 while the share of coal has increased. It is estimated that emissions in 2006 would have been approximately 2.5MtC lower if the shares of gas and coal had not changed from 2002. Data are not yet available for 2007.
	If the 2002 shares of coal and gas within fossil fuel generation were to prevail in 2020, emissions would be around 10MtC higher than projected. There is much uncertainty in such calculations. No estimates have been made for 2027.
	There are likely to be many other influences on future power station emissions, including the EU emissions trading scheme. The projected effects of the EU-ETS are set out in Annex I of the published projections, which are available at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file39580.pdf

Certification Officer: Cost Effectiveness

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what requirements there are on the Certification Officer to make Gershon savings or annual efficiency savings.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 17 January 2008
	The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service is responsible for providing the Certification Officer with the finance and support services necessary for the performance of his statutory duties. The annual budget process involving the Certification Officer and ACAS addresses the need for efficiency savings.

Certification Officer: Standards

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Certification Officer in scrutinising union political funds.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 17 January 2008
	The Certification Officer enjoys an excellent reputation for professionalism, expertise and impartiality. That reputation is based in part on the effective way he carries out his statutory functions in regard to political funds.

Certification Officer: Trade Unions

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the Certification Officer's statutory responsibilities are in relation to trade unions; and what legislative provisions govern them.

Patrick McFadden: The certification officer has a large number of statutory responsibilities, which are provided by the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. A description of these statutory responsibilities is given in the annual report of the certification officer, which is deposited each year in the House Library.

Coal Fired Power Stations: Carbon Emissions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power stations in each year until 2020.

Malcolm Wicks: The most recent estimates of carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power stations in the UK were made for the Energy White Paper 2007. For 2010, 2015 and 2020, they were projected to be 106.3, 69.2 and 57.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide respectively.

Coal Fired Power Stations: Carbon Emissions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what amount of carbon dioxide emissions have come from coal-fired power stations in each of the last 10 years.

Malcolm Wicks: Carbon dioxide emissions for 2007 are not yet available; emissions from coal fired power stations for the last 10 years for which we have data are given in the following table:
	
		
			   Million tonnes of carbon dioxide emitted 
			 1996 119.6 
			 1997 102.0 
			 1998 105.1 
			 1999 87.8 
			 2000 98.8 
			 2001 110.3 
			 2002 104.0 
			 2003 114.3 
			 2004 110.0 
			 2005 114.1 
			 2006(1) 125.9 
			 (1) 2006 provisional BERR estimate based on energy consumption data.   Source:  1996-2005 data National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI).

Consumers: Finance

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the annual effect on costs for his Department resulting from the merger of Energy Watch, Post Watch and the National Consumer Council.

Gareth Thomas: The new National Consumer Council (NCC) will create a more effective and efficient system of consumer representation across markets. It is anticipated that any savings that result from the creation of the new NCC will accrue to industry (and ultimately consumers) and not to Government, as sectoral bodies are funded by the individual industries that, in turn, recover their costs from consumers.

Consumers: Protection

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform in relation to which sectors the new National Consumer Council will pursue complaints from consumers.

Gareth Thomas: The Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Act 2007 provides for:
	a single point of contact for consumers across all markets (Consumer Direct) to obtain information and impartial advice;
	the extension of new redress schemes to all energy complaints and the postal services sector to resolve complaints where service providers have been unable to do so;
	the consolidation of sectoral consumer bodies to form one stronger body (new National Consumer Council) to represent the interests of consumers across all markets and to provide information and advice on the consumer perspective to business, to Government, and to the sectoral regulators.
	The legislation provides for the new NCC to have the power to assist vulnerable consumers in the gas, electricity and postal services sectors with their complaints.

Departmental Data Protection

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what audits his Department and its agencies carried out in relation to personal data and IT equipment in each of the last 10 years.

Gareth Thomas: The Department undertakes a formal programme of audits each year which can incorporate audit of personal data. The contents of these audits is dependent on the specific terms of reference for each review and a large number of audits have been carried out each year in the last 10 years across various areas of the Department. Since 1999 all IT provision to the Department has been provided under a PFI agreement. Auditing of the service providers IT equipment is the contractual responsibility of the service provider.

Departmental Pay

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many and what proportion of his Department's staff are employed within each salary band; what the title and role of each position within each salary band is; and for each salary band what the  (a) bonus structure,  (b) retirement provision,  (c) expenses provision,  (d) total expenses incurred in each of the last 10 years,  (e) average age of employee,  (f) number of (i) women and (ii) men and  (g) ethnic composition is.

Gareth Thomas: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  Salary bands: BERR core staff in post (SIP) as at 1 November 2007 
			  Band  SIP Strength  Percentage of BERR core 
			 Senior civil service 164 6 
			 Band C 963 37 
			 Band B 920 35 
			 Band A 374 14 
			 Other (not aligned with pay range)(1) 216 8 
			 Total 2,637 — 
			 (1 )Includes staff in Business and Regulatory Reform who recently transferred from the Cabinet Office and whose grades are not yet aligned with the rest of the Department. 
		
	
	The title and range of each position varies according to the work of the individual staff member therefore it is not practical to give a complete breakdown. To summarise:
	Band A consists of four pay ranges (1-4) and generally includes those posts providing a support role to management either in operational or administrative areas.
	Band B consists of four pay ranges (5-8) and generally includes posts dealing with case work, desk officer functions, research and specialist subject work, policy support, junior management, some secretarial work and other executive type functions.
	Band C consists of three pay ranges (9-11) and includes posts with more senior advisory and policy responsibilities or wider ranging managerial functions.
	 Bonus structure
	 Non-civil service pay grades and bonus structure:
	 Pay grades
	Posts below senior civil service within the Department for Business, Enterprise, and Regulatory Reform are structured in generalist ranges. These are allocated in line with the Department's grading guidance which specifies the level of tasks required under each range. The ranges are not directly equivalent to the former civil service system of grades but are broadly comparable, as follows:
	
		
			  Former civil service grade  BERR Range 
			 Grade 6 11 
			 Grade 7 10 
			 SEO and equivalents 9 
			 HEO and equivalents 8 
			  7 
			 EO and equivalents 6 
			  5 
			 AO and equivalents 4 
			  3 
			 AA and equivalents 2 
		
	
	 Bonus structure
	There are two bonus structures; performance awards and special bonuses.
	Special bonuses recognise performance in particularly demanding tasks or situations. Staff in receipt of a special bonus may also receive a performance award. They are taxable, non-pensionable lump sum payments, which can be paid at any time of the year.
	Performance awards are linked to the annual staff appraisal system. At the end of each appraisal year staff performance is assessed as highly successful, successful or improvement needed. Approximately 25 per cent. of staff receive a highly successful performance assessment and these get a performance award. These are paid as taxable, non-pensionable lump sum payments as part of annual pay awards. The following table shows the value of 2007 performance awards by range:
	
		
			  Range  HS performance award (£) 
			 2 650 
			 3 702 
			 4 754 
			 5 806 
			 6 858 
			 7 962 
			 8 1,040 
			 9 1,196 
			 10 1,612 
			 11 1,950 
			 FastStream 1,040 
		
	
	 Senior civil service pay and bonus structure:
	The Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) provides independent advice to the Government on the remuneration of the senior civil service (SCS). The Cabinet Office submits the Government's evidence to the SSRB for the annual pay round. Once a decision is made on whether to accept the SSRB recommendation, the Cabinet Office issues documentation on the SCS performance management and pay framework. Individual Departments then make awards of increases to base pay and of non-consolidated bonuses within the framework.
	 Retirement provision
	The normal retirement age for members of PCSPS is age 60. The Department provides a variety of early retirement schemes, although availability for release under these schemes is limited, and an ill-health retirement scheme.
	 Expenses provision
	The Department reimburses staff who have incurred expenses as part of their work for the Department e.g. travel and subsistence and relocation expenses. The cost of preparing an answer for the total expenses incurred over the past 10 years by band would be disproportionate to the benefit to be derived.
	
		
			  Age split by band 
			  Percentage group 
			  Band  25years and under  26-35 years  36-45 years  46-55 years  56+ years 
			 SCS 0 6 34 46 15 
			 Band C 0 18 36 35 11 
			 Band B 6 23 36 24 11 
			 Band A 5 11 34 29 22 
			 Other 21 39 18 9 12 
		
	
	
		
			  Gender split by band 
			  Band  Female percentage of band 
			 SCS 33 
			 Band C 38 
			 Band B 45 
			 Band A 63 
			 Other 49 
		
	
	
		
			  Ethnic composition 
			  Percentage of band SIP 
			  Band  Black and minority ethnic staff  Unknown ethnicity 
			 SCS 4 12 
			 Band C 7 35 
			 Band B 18 39 
			 Band A 20 38

Departmental Recycling

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what weight of paper his Department recycled in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: The Department has recycled the following weights for paper and cardboard (they are not segregated):
	
		
			   Kilograms 
			 2003-04 342,905 
			 2004-05 434,108 
			 2005-06 349,707 
			 2006-07 281,530 
			 2007-08(1) 253,700 
			 (1) April-December 
		
	
	The historic figures (2003-06) are for DTI. It is not practical to separate out the 2007-08 recycling figures for BERR and DIUS since they are co-located. (DIUS has part occupied Kingsgate house for the past two months and was previously located in 1 Victoria street).

Direct Selling

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what measures are in place to regulate door-to-door tradesmen in order to ensure elderly people are protected from fraudulent cold calling.

Gareth Thomas: Current doorstep selling regulations provide rights to consumers who enter into agreements to buy goods or services in their homes or place of work when the trader's visit was unsolicited. Those rights provide for a cooling off period of seven days, during which time the contract may be cancelled by the consumer, and a requirement that the trader provides the consumer with a written notice of the right to cancel the contract. We are planning, later this year, to introduce new Doorstep Selling Regulations to extend the cooling off period and cancellation rights to include solicited visits, and to require the trader to include the notice of the right to cancel the contract in the written contract.
	Additional consumer protection will be provided by the EC Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (UCPD) which will be implemented by the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs). Draft regulations will be laid before Parliament shortly and, if approved in debate, will come into force on 6 April. The CPRs will complement the Doorstep Selling Regulations by addressing high pressure sales and deceptive marketing techniques used by unscrupulous traders engaged in doorstep selling and cold calling.

Ecuador: Debt

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will provide a breakdown of Ecuador's debt to the Export Credits Guarantee Department rescheduled in the Paris Club.

Malcolm Wicks: As at 31 December 2007 the balance of the debt owed to ECGD and rescheduled under Paris Club arrangements consisted of £16,901,934 principal and £22,049,168 interest.

Electricity: Imports

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what percentage of the UK's electricity was supplied from sources outside the UK in  (a) 2004-05,  (b) 2005-06 and  (c) 2006-07.

Malcolm Wicks: Using data from the Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics 2007, imports of electricity accounted for 2 per cent. of the electricity supplied in the United Kingdom in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Electricity: Imports

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what percentage of electricity supplied to Kent was from sources outside the UK in  (a) 2004-05,  (b) 2005-06 and  (c) 2006-07.

Malcolm Wicks: It is not possible to identify where the electricity supplied to any particular geographic area was generated before it entered the national transmission system.

Electronic Equipment: Recycling

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps the Government has taken to encourage the recycling of electrical equipment.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 17 January 2008
	The waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) directive aims to minimise the impact of electrical and electronic goods on the environment, by increasing re-use and recycling and reducing the amount of WEEE going to landfill. It introduces producer responsibility for WEEE. Producers must finance the collection, treatment and recycling/recovery of waste electrical equipment. Distributors supplying electrical and electronic equipment to household end users must provide facilities for waste equipment to be returned free of charge.
	The UK Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations 2006, implementing the WEEE directive, were laid before the House on 12 December 2006 and entered into force on 2 January 2007 with producer responsibility commencing from 1 July 2007.
	The WEEE directive also requires member states to establish adequate collection facilities to enable consumers to discard their WEEE from other forms of waste free of charge. In the UK, local authority civic amenity sites have registered their sites as designed collection facilities (DCFs) where consumers can return their WEEE for free. Producers, through their Producer Compliance Schemes, are liable for the costs of collecting, treating and recycling household WEEE from a DCF. Consumers can locate details of their nearest recycling centre from http://recycle-more.co.uk/
	The Department will undertake a campaign to raise consumer awareness later this year. Information on the WEEE regulations is also available from the BERR website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/innovation/sustainability/weee/page30269.html

Electronic Equipment: Waste Disposal

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what research his Department has undertaken into awareness of the regulations on waste electrical and electronic equipment among  (a) producers,  (b) retailers and  (c) households; and if he will publish the results of that research.

Malcolm Wicks: No research has been commissioned by the Department to date. The WEEE regulations place a number of obligations on both the producers and retailers of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) to provide information to householders as to how they should dispose of their WEEE to protect the environment.
	The enforcement authorities will be undertaking activities to raise awareness within the producer and retail sectors to ensure that those affected by the WEEE regulations are aware of their requirements. The Department will undertake a campaign to raise householders' awareness later this year.

Energy Bill

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform with reference to bullet point two in paragraph 4, page 69, relating to the impact assessment for the Energy Bill, what are the European legislative requirements.

Malcolm Wicks: As part of the Strategic Siting Assessment Government intends to conduct a Strategic Environmental Assessment under the Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive.

Energy: Meters

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  whether the Government's forthcoming response to the metering and billing consultation will refer to the creation of a market for smart enabled meters;
	(2)  what submissions he has received on the potential inclusion of provision of smart meters in the recently published Energy Bill; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  when the Government will publish its response to the recent consultation on metering and billing in relation to energy supplies.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government are assessing responses to their recent consultation on metering and billing, and will shortly publish their response, including their approach to the delivery of smart meters. My Department has received a communication about the omission of smart meters from the Energy Bill, to which we will respond in due course.

Energy: Prices

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he last met representatives of Ofgem to discuss energy prices.

Malcolm Wicks: Ministers have regular meetings with Ofgem to discuss all areas of their remit. The Secretary of State's last meeting was with Sir John Mogg and Alistair Buchanan on 18 December 2007 where they discussed effective operation of the market.

Franco-British Nuclear Forum: Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what plans he has for funding of the Franco-British Nuclear Forum; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: We expect that the budget for the Franco-British Nuclear Forum will continue to be met from the Department's existing budget for nuclear liabilities.

Fuel Poverty

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of households in fuel poverty since 2004.

Malcolm Wicks: Estimates of the number of households in fuel poverty are published annually and can be accessed through the BERR website at:
	http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/fuel-poverty/strategy/index.html
	The most recent publication, "The UK Fuel Poverty Strategy 5th Annual Progress Report 2007", available at http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file42720.pdf, shows that in 2004 there were approximately 2 million fuel poor households in the UK (1.2 million in England), rising to approximately 2.5 million in the UK in 2005 (1.5 million in England). This report covers up to 2005, the last year for which published statistics are available.
	The Energy White Paper, published in May 2007, held projections to 2006. It estimated that an extra 1.2 million households in England were fuel poor in 2006 compared to 2004, this increase being caused by rises in fuel prices.

Fuel Poverty: Rural Areas

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many rural households in England are in fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: A breakdown based on the rurality of the household, as defined by the National Statistics Definition, is available in the "Fuel Poverty 2005—Detailed Tables" available online at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file42705.pdf
	This shows that in 2005 there were approximately 288,000 fuel poor households in a "Village, hamlet or isolated dwelling". This is 14.6 per cent. of the total 1,980,000 houses defined as being members of this category.

Liability: Construction

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he is taking to ensure proportionate liability for consultants and engineers in construction projects.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 17 January 2008
	My Department sees no current need for any such steps.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when the Minister of State will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire dated 20 November 2007, about people whose assets place them on the margins of eligibility for state aid.

Stephen Timms: The hon. Member's letter was for my colleagues at the Department for Work and Pensions to respond to. I apologise that the transfer of the letter was delayed over the Christmas period, but it was completed on 15 January. The hon. Member will receive a response in due course.

Minimum Wage

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many persons he estimates are working  (a) at below the minimum wage,  (b) at the minimum wage,  (c) for between £5.53 and £7.00 per hour,  (d) for between £7.01 and £8.00 per hour,  (e) for between £8.01 and £9.00 per hour,  (f) for between £9.01 and £10.00 per hour and  (g) for between £10.01 and £12.50 per hour; and what percentage each of these groups are of the total work force.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 26 November 2007
	The information requested is as follows.
	 (a) It is estimated that there are 292,000 jobs which were paying below the applicable NMW rate in April 2007.
	Some people may be paid below the NMW due to non-compliance with the legislation. The Government have announced their intention to introduce new penalties for all employers who underpay the national minimum wage and a fairer system of paying arrears. These measures are included in the Employment Bill announced in the Queen's Speech 2007. However, not all those that are paid less than the NMW reflect non-compliance. There are a number of circumstances where the national minimum wage does not apply and so individuals may legitimately earn less than the appropriate national minimum wage rate for their age. For example, individuals may be on Government training programmes or apprenticeships, where they are exempt for the first year, up to the age of 26. Employees may also not be receiving the national minimum wage in cash terms because employers can legitimately reduce rates to take into account the cost of accommodation provided, for which there is a standard level of deduction.
	 (b) The estimates of those at the NMW level are not available from the Office of National Statistics, as hourly earnings are calculated from weekly earnings divided by the numbers of hours, it is not possible to be so precise. However, the number of jobs less than the NMW plus 5p are 921,000 (3.6 per cent.).
	 (c) 3,939 jobs (16.5 per cent.)
	 (d) 2,279 jobs (9.5 per cent.)
	 (e) 2,062 jobs (8.6 per cent.)
	 (f) 1,777 jobs (7.4 per cent.)
	 (g) 3,342 jobs (14.0 per cent.)
	The numbers are from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE). They are indicative as they exclude some employees (such as those whose pay has been affected by loss of earnings or those who are not on adult rates) in order to give a better measure of earnings. Therefore, the proportions are more meaningful than the absolute numbers.

Minimum Wage

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will bring forward proposals to increase the minimum wage for  (a) adults and  (b) young workers; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: National minimum wage rates are set by the Government based on the recommendations of the independent Low Pay Commission (LPC). The Low Pay Commission is due to report to Government in February.

New Businesses

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps the Government has taken to encourage individuals and companies to set up businesses in the West Midlands in the last five years.

Stephen Timms: Over the last five years, the Business Link service in the West Midlands has provided a wide range of support and guidance to companies and individuals who want to set up new businesses. It provides advice on key issues as well as training workshops and mentoring. Since 2002, the Business Link service in the West Midlands has offered a bespoke high growth start-up programme called Mustard. This service includes advice on how to access non-traditional sources of finance including venture capital and business angels. Companies also receive specialist advice from accountancy and finance specialists. Over 500 start-up businesses every year have taken part in this bespoke programme.
	The Business Link service in the West Midlands has also supported the Young Enterprise and Prince's Trust initiatives which encourage young people to start their own businesses and has run bespoke programmes to encourage women, ethnic minority and social entrepreneurs to set up businesses.
	Since 2003, the Business Link service in the West Midlands has provided support and advice to the following number of individuals and businesses who have been trading for less than 12 months.
	
		
			   Number of individuals who have been supported at least once with advice or training on how to 
			  Financial year  Start up and manage a new business  Operate their business during their first 12 months of trading 
			 2003-04 to 2007-08 94,824 20,791 
		
	
	 Manufacturing Advisory Service
	The region's important manufacturing sector has benefited from support from the Manufacturing Advisory Service which offers companies access to a range of services as part of the wider larger business support network.
	The Manufacturing Advisory Service in the West Midlands (MAS-WM) has been successful in attracting individuals and businesses to the region particularly through its specialist sourcing service which encourages inter-trading between local suppliers.
	 Advantage West Midlands
	Advantage West Midlands (AWM), the regional development agency, also has in place a further range of initiatives to increase the creation, growth and survival of economically sustainable new businesses. AWM also administers the selective finance for investment (SFI) grant for manufacturing and service projects. Under SFI, between April 2004 and March 2007, 234 offers of grant made by AWM were accepted. These grant offers are expected to create 2,782 jobs and safeguard 3,325 jobs. In total, £35.1 million of grant funding has been provided.
	Through one of the key delivery mechanisms for delivering the West Midlands Economic Strategy—the High Technology Corridors-AWM has supported the creation of 148 new business, and assisted a further 1,786 businesses.
	 Inward Investment
	The West Midland's region has a good track record of attracting inward investment. The West Midlands is home to around 2,300 foreign owned firms from over 40 countries which employ around 250,000 people.
	AWM manages inward investment activity for the region, working with a range of regional, national and international partners. Support for potential inward investors includes land and property searches, help with staff recruitment training and assistance with developing partnerships, particularly with universities.

News Corporation

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what communication has occurred between  (a) the Secretary of State and  (b) other members of his Department and BSkyB, News International or any News Corporation controlled company following BSkyB's acquisition of a 17.9 per cent. stake in ITV; and what form this communication has taken in each case;
	(2)  whether his Department has been contacted by BSkyB, News International or any other News Corporation controlled company during the past four weeks in relation to the Competition Commission's final report into the BSkyB acquisition of a 17.9 per cent. stake in ITV published on 20 December 2007;
	(3)  whether his Department has been contacted by BSkyB, News International or any other News Corporation controlled company during the past four weeks in relation to the Competition Commission's final report sent to him on 14 December 2007.

Gareth Thomas: Since receipt and publication of the Competition Commission's final report of its inquiry into British Sky Broadcasting Group plc's (BSkyB) acquisition of a 17.9 per cent. shareholding in ITV plc, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received written representations from BSkyB as well as from Virgin Media, ITV plc, Rapture Television, the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom and by Mr. David Hammond. In addition, BERR officials have met with representatives of BSkyB to receive further oral representations.

Nuclear Power

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform with reference to paragraph 3.77 of the White Paper on Nuclear Power, CM 7296, what steps may be taken by Ministers to ensure a level playing field between nuclear power and other forms of electricity generation.

Malcolm Wicks: As set out in the White Paper, it is not intended that incentives will be provided through the fiscal regime to invest in nuclear power generation in preference to other types of generation. Should it be determined that the timing of nuclear decommissioning creates a tax disadvantage for nuclear operators, the Government will consider whether it might be appropriate to take action to ensure a level fiscal playing field between nuclear power and other forms of electricity generation. There are no proposals for measures at this stage.

Nuclear Power

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he expects to post on his departmental website the written submissions received by the consultation on nuclear energy policy held in 2007; and if he will list those individuals and organisations that made submissions, but requested their content not to be published by the Department.

Malcolm Wicks: I placed the written responses on our consultation website at www.direct.gov.uk/nuclearpower2007 on 10 January 2008, the day that we published our White Paper on nuclear power. Where respondents requested confidentiality, we have not published their names or their submissions.

Nuclear Power Stations: Construction

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform with reference to paragraph 3.4 of the White Paper on Nuclear Power, Cm 7296, whether an inquiry looking into an application for a new nuclear power plant will be permitted to examine any potential local effects of such a plant being built and operated.

Malcolm Wicks: The Planning Bill proposes that the Government should set out the case for nationally significant infrastructure projects in National Policy Statements. There would be public consultation before the National Policy Statement was finalised. This would allow relevant local and regional factors to be considered where the statement identified specific locations. National Policy Statements would be subject to scrutiny by Parliament.
	This approach would enable the inquiry phase of any application to focus on and examine potential local effects, rather than re-examining national issues that have already been debated.
	Developers would be required to consult local communities before they submit a planning application, allowing the community greater opportunity to influence the outcome. The inquiry stage will be easier and quicker for members of the public to engage with and anyone who registers an interest will have a right to be heard subject to the normal qualifications ruling out irrelevant, repetitious evidence. There will also be extra funding to help hard to reach groups have their say.

Nuclear Power Stations: Costs

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the average cost of producing one kilowatt of energy from a nuclear power station.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department carried out an extensive cost-benefit analysis of the costs of nuclear generation for the Energy Review in 2006 and the Energy White Paper in 2007. This compared the costs of nuclear against those of other low carbon generation options as well as against the cost of generation from gas.
	The cost-benefit analysis included a number of sensitivities for the costs of nuclear generation, including variations in the construction cost, discount rate and waste management and decommissioning costs.
	The analysis is available at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file39525.pdf

Nuclear Power Stations: Radiation Exposure

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether it is intended that the Independent Radioactive Waste Management and Decommissioning Fund, as described at paragraphs 3.46 to 3.76 of the White Paper on Nuclear Power, Cm 7296, should be available to pay for such functions including those necessary in the event of unplanned release of radioactivity in the case of an accident involving a breach of containment at a nuclear power station.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government have determined that independent funds, outside of the control of nuclear operators, should be created to accumulate and manage payments from operators to meet the full costs of decommissioning and full share of waste management costs. These funds will only be accessible to pay for decommissioning and waste management.
	The arrangements being put in place through the Energy Bill 2008 are not designed to respond to the event of unplanned release of radioactivity in the case of an accident involving a breach of containment at a nuclear power station. However, should decommissioning result from such an event, the fund could be made accessible to contribute to the associated costs. Should the cost estimates of decommissioning liabilities increase as a result of such an event, operators would be required to make provisions to cover the increase in costs.
	Under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965, nuclear operators have strict and exclusive liability for nuclear incidents causing personal injury or damage to property. This liability is capped and in the UK is currently £140 million. The operator must demonstrate that they have the financial security (through insurance or other means) to cover this amount.

Nuclear Power: Inspections

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform with reference to paragraph 2.93 of the White Paper on Nuclear Power, Cm7296, by what  (a) percentage and  (b) amounts the Government have authorised the Health and Safety Executive to increase salary levels of the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate's nuclear inspectors; how these changes in remuneration were arrived at; and whether there has been any effect on recruitment as a result of the new payment package.

Malcolm Wicks: Details of the pay settlement for nuclear inspectors in the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) are a matter for the Health and Safety Executive. We are hopeful that this settlement will enable the NII to recruit and retain the right calibre of staff they need to carry out their work. However, it is too early to assess the effect the settlement has had on recruitment.
	We will continue to work closely with the regulators to ensure they have sufficient resource to carry out their work, including generic design assessments of new nuclear reactors within the three to three and a half year time frame.

Nuclear Power: International Cooperation

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions his Department has had with the United States administration on Global Nuclear Energy Partnership proposals.

Malcolm Wicks: There have been no recent discussions between my Department and the US Administration on Global Nuclear Energy Partnership proposals.

Political Impartiality

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform for what purpose his Department records the political opinions of  (a) staff and  (b) the public.

Gareth Thomas: The Department does not record the political opinions of its staff.
	On public appointments to non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) information is sought at application stage of political activity, in line with the Commissioner for Public Appointments Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies, and is declared in the press notices which announce appointments to these bodies. Appointees are asked to update this information on a regular basis.

Post Offices: Pensions

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps the Government are taking to protect the pensions of those post office workers affected by national post office reorganisation.

Patrick McFadden: Subpostmasters are agents or franchises and not employees of POL. Therefore neither they nor the staff they employ are members of the Royal Mail pension scheme.
	POL staff in Crown Offices are members of the Royal Mail pension scheme. Royal Mail has proposed changes to the scheme to help it tackle the current pension fund deficit and to bring pensions costs down to a more affordable and sustainable level. UNITE and the CWU have both accepted the proposals for pension reform for existing members.
	The Government agreed a finance framework in March 2007 which provides Royal Mail with the ability to manage its pension deficit by allowing the transfer of £850 million of reserves into an escrow account to support the pension fund. This is supplemented by £150 million from Royal Mail's resources.

Post Offices: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether an alternative site for the main post office in Cowgate, Peterborough has been identified for after the expiry of its lease in December 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 17 January 2008
	This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Power Failures: Kent

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many severe electrical blackouts were recorded in  (a) Gravesham constituency and  (b) Kent in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Malcolm Wicks: Major electricity interruptions are reported to the Secretary of State in accordance with regulation 32 of the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002.
	Since 2002:
	 (a) one major incident affecting the Gravesham constituency was reported in 2007; and
	 (b) four major incidents were reported that affected parts of Kent—two in 2003 and two in 2007.

Power Failures: Kent

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many power cuts attributable to the performance of networks operated by distributors covering the Kent area were reported in each year since 2002; and in each case what was the  (a) date,  (b) location and  (c) number of users affected.

Malcolm Wicks: Power cuts are a daily occurrence due to faults on every distribution network. Individual reports for each interruption are not submitted to Government. Instead, electricity distribution companies report summary information to Ofgem on an annual basis. These reports include numbers of customer interruptions (CI) and durations of interruptions (customer minutes lost CML). The performance figures for EdF South East (which includes Kent) are:
	
		
			   CI  CML 
			 2002-03 90.42 81.25 
			 2003-04 97.77 90.04 
			 2004-05 82.57 84.02 
			 2005-06 77.80 72.50 
			 2006-07 85.90 88.70

Public Sector Index (Non-Housebuilding) (PubSec) Index

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will place in the Library a copy of the latest version of the Public Sector Index (Non-Housebuilding) (PubSec) Index.

Stephen Timms: The Public Sector (Non-Housebuilding) Index was published in the bulletin "Quarterly Building Price and Cost Indices", and I have arranged for a copy of the Index from the December 2007 issue to be placed in the Library.
	From January this year, it will be published on the World Wide Web, on BERR's behalf, by the Building Cost Information Service. Their website is at http://www.bcis.co.uk/. The publication has always been available on subscription, and in future the subscription will give access to the information in electronic form. Requests for subscriptions to periodicals should be addressed to the Librarian.

Radioactive Wastes: Waste Management

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his most recent estimate is of the cost to the public purse of disposing of historic nuclear waste.

Malcolm Wicks: In 2003 Nirex produced figures for the estimated total cost of UK nuclear waste disposal in a geological facility which ranged between £7.5 billion and £10.4 billion (undiscounted) depending on facility design and whether or not high and intermediate level wastes were ultimately located in the same facility or in two separate facilities.
	In October 2006, when Government responded to the recommendations of the independent Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM), the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) was given responsibility for taking forward development and implementation of a geological disposal facility for higher activity wastes. The NDA is working to produce a new model which will estimate the cost of implementing a deep geological disposal facility for a variety of scenarios i.e. geology type, geographical position and types and amounts of wastes. We anticipate the model to be complete during 2008.

Recycling: Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the value of the recycle payment for each renewables obligation certificate held was on each occasion on which recycle payments have been made.

Malcolm Wicks: The Renewables Obligation (RO) was introduced in 2002. Recycle payments for each Renewables Obligation Certificate (ROC) presented to Ofgem by electricity suppliers in order to comply with their renewables obligation have been made as follows:
	
		
			  Per ROC 
			   RO England and Wales  RO Scotland  Northern Ireland RO( 1) 
			 2002-03 15.94 23.55 — 
			 2003-04 22.92 23.70 — 
			 2004-05 13.66 19.99 — 
			 2005-06 10.21 10.21 10.21 
			 2006-07 16.04 16.04 16.04 
			 (1) The Northern Ireland RO was not introduced until 2005-06.

Regional Development Agencies: Finance

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what requirements his Department has placed on regional development agencies in spending monies allocated via the single pot from his Department.

Stephen Timms: Government Departments and the RDAs agreed a Tasking Framework which came into effect from April 2005. This required each RDA to show in its corporate plans for 2005-08 how, in support of its statutory role and responsibilities, it would contribute to the delivery of the Government's Public Service Agreement (PSA) Targets on Regional Economic Performance, Sustainable Development and Productivity/Rural Productivity and, through these, how it would contribute to delivery of a range of other PSAs and output targets.
	In line with the conclusions of the Review of Sub-national Economic Development and Regeneration, BERR is working with the RDAs and other Government Departments to set overarching regional economic growth objectives for the RDAs which will apply from April 2008 (and will replace the 2005 Tasking Framework). The regional growth objectives will be aimed at increasing regional GVA per head, consistent with the Government Regional Economic Performance PSA. From April 2008, RDAs will also be required to demonstrate regard to two underlying cross-cutting principles—sustainable development and economic opportunities for all—as they seek to achieve the regional growth objective.
	The RDAs are currently developing new corporate plans, for the period 2008-11, in which they will set out corporate objectives showing how their activities will be aligned with their overarching regional growth objective and how they will apply the cross-cutting principles of sustainable development and economic opportunities for all. BERR and other Government Departments will review the new corporate plans and in my capacity as the Minister for the Regions, on behalf of Government, I will approve the new corporate plans for the eight RDAs outside London.
	All RDA activity must be in line with the statutory purposes and powers set out for them in the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998. In addition, the RDA financial duties are set out in the Management Statement and Financial Memorandum.

Regulation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform for which regulators and inspectorates his Department has had responsibility in each year since 1997; what the budget was of each such body in each year; and what the cost to the public purse was of any restructuring of each such body in each year.

Gareth Thomas: The Department (and the former DTI) has sponsored the following inspectorates/regulators since 1997:
	 Inspectorates
	Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate
	Engineering Inspectorate
	 Regulators
	 Executive Agencies
	Companies House
	Insolvency Service
	 Executive NDPBs
	Coal Authority
	Competition Commission
	Hearing Aid Council
	The following bodies are financially independent but BERR/former DTI has had policy responsibility for the areas they cover:
	 Non Ministerial Departments
	Office of Fair Trading
	Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem)
	Postal Service Commission (Postcomm)
	 Public Corporation
	Office of Communications (Ofcom)—Ofcom absorbed the Radio Communication Agency at the end December 2003 which was a former regulatory agency of the DTI.
	 Other Bodies
	Financial Reporting Council
	Until June 2007, the Department also had responsibility for the following bodies, which were transferred to DIUS:
	 Executive Agencies
	National Weights and Measures Laboratory Agency
	UK Intellectual Property Office
	 Executive NDPBs
	British Hallmarking Council (ENDPB)
	The budgets and restructuring costs of these bodies are not held in a composite form and could be collated only at disproportionate cost. However, with the exception of the Engineering Inspectorate and Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, budgets can be obtained from their past and present annual reports or the Central Government Supply Estimates in each of the relevant years.

Renewable Energy

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the percentage of UK electricity which will be supplied from renewable sources in each year until 2015.

Malcolm Wicks: Based on the Energy White Paper projections, the percentage of electricity supplied by renewables was assessed at between 8 and 10 per cent. in 2010, between 12 and 16 per cent. in 2015 and between 12 and 19 per cent. in 2020(1). Assessments for other years are not available.
	Following the consultation on our proposed reforms of the renewables obligation (RO) we have revised our modelling of the likely deployment attributable to the RO. Our revised proposals were published on 10 January, and these new estimates have not yet been included in our formal energy projections.
	(1) The figures represent the share of renewables, including waste streams, in electricity supply. The coverage of the industry is defined at footnote 21 of the document: http://www.berr.gov.uk//files/file39580.pdf

Renewable Energy: Contracts

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he was  (a) consulted on and  (b) asked to approve the tendering process conditions imposed by the Welsh Assembly Government on renewable energy company investors in schemes that will exceed 50 megawatts; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 17 January 2008
	 The tendering process for the Welsh National Forest Estate Wind Farm programme was a matter purely for the devolved administration and my Department had no role in it.

Renewable Energy: Planning

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what proportion of the renewable energy projects built in the last 15 years would  (a) have been large enough to qualify for decision making by the Infrastructure Planning Commission proposed in the Planning Bill and  (b) would have been dealt with by local authorities.

Malcolm Wicks: The Planning Bill provides that renewable energy projects generating electricity over 50 megawatts onshore and those generating over 100 megawatts offshore in England and Wales will in future be dealt with by the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC). Approximately 3 per cent. (58.5 MW) of the 1,890 MW of constructed renewable generating capacity in England and Wales would have been consented via the IPC had it been in existence (Source: 2010 Planning Database). Another 390 MW of offshore wind generation has been constructed comprising of projects generating between 50 MW and 100 MW. The remainder of the constructed wind farms would have been decided by local authorities.
	In addition, BERR has consented to more than 3,500 MW (around 3,000 MW offshore and 550 MW onshore) of renewable energy projects which have not yet been built but are above the threshold to be dealt with by the IPC in future.

Renewable Energy: Planning

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what effect he expects the Planning Bill, if enacted, to have on the process for building new renewable generators.

Malcolm Wicks: The reforms will have no impact on the processes for building new energy infrastructure but are intended to improve the efficiency and transparency of the planning system and the speed with which applications are considered.

Renewable Energy: Standards

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations he has received from the renewables industry on the Government's commitment to a EU 20 per cent. renewables target since that contract was made.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department has had representations from various industry and other stakeholders since the Government's commitment to the EU 20 per cent. target. The Department is planning further engagement with stakeholders this year to inform the development of the UK Renewable Energy Strategy which will set out how the UK intends to meet its share of the EU target.

Solar Power

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assumptions were made about the cost of solar electricity generation in the UK MARKAL-macro model.

Malcolm Wicks: The full results of the MARKAL-macro modelling for the Energy White Paper and are available at: http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file38979.pdf. The assumptions used for solar photovoltaic power in the MARKAL-macro modelling were provided by AEA Technology and are shown in the following table. The capacity value factors vary according to the season so figures for summer and winter days have been provided. The figures in the final column show the estimated final production cost after taking account of capital cost, capacity factor, operation and maintenance costs and equipment lifetime. The capital costs are assumed to decline over time as a result of technological learning.
	
		
			  Technology description  First year available  Capacity factor (percentage)  Cap cost (£/kW)  O and M (fix) (£/kW)  Life (years)  Costs (p/kWh) 
			 Solar PV (summer day) 2000 19.5 5,750 58 20 42.9 
			 Solar PV (summer day) 2050 19.5 1,386 14 20 10.3 
			
			 Solar PV (winter day) 2000 7.0 5,750 58 20 119.5 
			 Solar PV (winter day) 2050 7.0 1,386 14 20 28.8

Trade Unions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what meetings he has had with trade unions officials since 1 July 2007; on what dates; and with which trade unions.

Gareth Thomas: Ministers meet many people as part of the process of policy development. It is not normal practice to disclose details of such meetings.

Trading Schemes (Exclusion) Regulations 1997

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when the draft regulations referred to in the memorandum and letter dated 15 July 1997 to Mr. Bigmore concerning the Trading Schemes (Exclusion) Regulations 1997 entered into force.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 17 January 2008
	These regulations came into force on 21 August 1997.

Utilities: Disadvantaged

Martin Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions he has had with energy companies on support for vulnerable consumers.

Malcolm Wicks: Since the publication of the Energy White Paper, I have met the chief executives of all the energy supply companies with a view to improving support to those at risk of fuel poverty. The level of support has increased from £40 million to £56 million for this winter.
	I will meet with all the chief executives again shortly to discuss the best way to ensure continued support for their most vulnerable consumers.

Utilities: Low Incomes

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps the Government plan to take to assist people on low incomes to meet the cost of electricity and gas, with particular reference to recent price increases.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government have a package of measures in place to support vulnerable households to keep their homes warm. We have announced that spend on energy efficiency measures for those on low incomes for the period 2008-11 will be in excess of £2.3 billion. This is in addition to the winter fuel payments, payable to all pensioners, which will continue for the lifetime of this Parliament.
	In addition, energy companies have recently increased the level of support they provide to vulnerable customers as a result of Government pressure. The level of support available this winter is now close to £60 million.

Utilities: Meters

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what the regulatory framework will be for the introduction of smart meters for electricity and gas; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what plans he has to implement the aim in the 2007 Energy White Paper that every home should have a smart meter for electricity and gas; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government are assessing responses to their recent consultation on metering and billing, and will shortly set out their next steps, including their approach to the delivery of smart meters.

Utilities: Standards

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he has taken to ensure that consumers have access to information on the performance of energy suppliers in handling complaints; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The statutory consumer body, Energywatch, currently provides consumers with a range of information about the performance of gas and electricity suppliers, although this focuses on areas of operation, rather than internal complaint-handling. Following the passage of the Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Act 2007, Ofgem will set minimum standards for complaint-handling for suppliers, which will take effect from October 2008. The arrangements surrounding these standards are currently being developed.

Wind Power: Planning Permission

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of wind power generation applications which are not being implemented as a result of network capacity constraints which prohibit their connection.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 14 January 2008
	National Grid is responsible for managing connection agreements for larger generation projects. Figures from National Grid indicate that developers of approximately 500MW of wind generation projects with planning permission have requested earlier connection dates than set out in their current connection agreements. Available network capacity is a key consideration in whether National Grid can agree to these requests.

Wind Power: Planning Permission

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the estimated  (a) cost and  (b) capacity is of those wind power projects that have been given planning permission which are waiting for connection permits.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 14 January 2008
	There are approximately 4.3GW of onshore and offshore wind power projects with planning permission under development. All these projects have signed connection agreements with National Grid. The Government are working with Ofgem and National Grid to seek to ensure that these projects are offered a connection date in line with the developer's preferred programme wherever possible.
	The cost of developing these projects are met by the private sector within the regulatory framework set by Government.

JUSTICE

Bail

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the Prime Minister's oral answer to the hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire on 16 January 2008,  Official Report, column 925 on bail, what steps he plans to take to review the issue raised and decide whether any changes in the law are necessary.

Jack Straw: In determining applications for bail, the courts have to make difficult decisions within the statutory framework laid down by Parliament in the Bail Act 1976 as amended by the 1994 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act. The law and procedure governing bail is kept under constant review. We are currently considering whether any wider implications flow from relevant and high-profile cases.

British Nationality: Armed Forces

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many applications have been made for UK citizenship on behalf of children of members of UK armed forces who do not have UK citizenship over the last 10 years, broken down by country of origin;
	(2)  how many children of members of the armed forces who are citizens of other Commonwealth countries have been born in the UK and granted UK citizenship.

Liam Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested could be obtained by the detailed examination of individual case records only at disproportionate cost.

Children: Protection

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what data protection obligations there are on  (a) police authorities,  (b) NHS trusts and  (c) social services departments to (i) amend and (ii) delete data collected through child protection investigations undertaken on the basis of incorrect clinical diagnosis.

Michael Wills: The obligations on data controllers processing personal data are set out in the Data Protection Act. It contains eight principles which govern the processing of personal data. They apply to all processing of data by all data controllers, including police authorities, NHS trusts and social services.
	The fourth principle requires that personal data should be accurate and, where necessary, up to date. Correcting inaccuracies in data held could be achieved by deleting or amending, depending on the circumstances.
	The Data Protection Act is administered and enforced by the Information Commissioner, Richard Thomas, independently of the Government. His office is able to provide advice on specific cases and situations relating to data protection.

ClearSprings Management: Offenders

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the criteria are for selecting offenders to be accommodated in bail and home detention facilities managed by Clear Springs;
	(2)  how many offences have been committed by offenders housed in bail and home detention accommodation managed by Clearsprings, broken down by  (a) number of offences,  (b) category of offence and  (c) location of the accommodation;
	(3)  what categories of offences were committed by offenders prior to their transfer to bail and home detention accommodation managed by Clearsprings;
	(4)  how many offenders housed in bail and home detention accommodation managed by Clearsprings have been returned to custody since the inception of the scheme; and for what reason in each case;
	(5)  what procedures are in place for notifying local residents that bail and home detention accommodation managed by Clearsprings is opening in their area;
	(6)  what procedures are in place for consulting local authorities on proposals to open bail and home detention accommodation managed by Clearsprings in their area.

Jack Straw: The Bail Accommodation and Support Service provided by ClearSprings is for defendants on bail and offenders on Home Detention Curfew. The following are excluded from the scheme: (i) those convicted of or charged with sex offences, (ii) those convicted of arson in the last 10 years or charged with arson, (iii) those who are considered to pose a significant risk to the public or to ClearSprings staff or to others in a shared house and (iv) those sentenced prisoners who are excluded from HDC. The main exclusions from HDC are:
	sex offenders subject to the notification requirements of the Sex Offenders Act 1997/Sexual Offences Act 2003;
	violent and sex offenders currently serving an extended sentence;
	prisoners currently serving a sentence for failing to return after a Release on Temporary Licence;
	prisoners currently serving a sentence for failing to comply with a curfew order;
	most prisoners who have been recalled to prison for failing to comply with the HDC curfew conditions.
	fine defaulters and contemnors; and
	foreign national prisoners who are liable to removal.
	In addition, prisoners with any history of sexual offending (who are not required to register as a sex offender) or serving sentences for the following categories of offences are considered unsuitable for release on HDC and can apply for HDC only if there are exceptional circumstances:
	homicide, including attempted murder, threats to kill, conspiring, aiding or inciting murder and death by reckless/dangerous driving;
	causing explosions, placing explosives, possessing explosives;
	possession of offensive weapons;
	possession of firearms with intent;
	cruelty to children; and
	racially aggravated offences.
	Defendants and offenders who are not excluded, who otherwise have no suitable address and who apply for bail or home detention curfew will be considered for the scheme. But a defendant will be released into the service only if granted bail by the court. The court can refuse bail if it considers that there is a risk that the defendant will abscond, offend or interfere with witnesses or otherwise obstruct the course of justice. An offender will be released into the service on Home Detention Curfew only on the decision of a prison governor following consultation with probation and a thorough assessment of risk and of the suitability of the proposed location.
	Information on how many offences have been committed by defendants and offenders while accommodated by ClearSprings cannot be obtained except at disproportionate cost.
	Information on the categories of offences committed by offenders prior to their transfer to bail and Home Detention Curfew cannot be obtained except at disproportionate cost. However the service is available only to those who are granted bail or who are released on Home Detention Curfew, and to those who have not committed offences or been charged with offences that would exclude them, as mentioned.
	I will provide information on how many defendants or offenders released into ClearSprings service who have been returned to custody as soon as possible.
	ClearSprings staff personally call on the immediate neighbours of a BASS property to provide information on the BASS scheme and a 24/7 contact telephone number. Where it is not possible to make face-to-face contact an introductory letter is left providing ClearSprings' contact details.
	ClearSprings consult with local authorities, and with police and probation, when acquiring properties so that local knowledge can inform the selection of addresses and avoid inappropriate locations. The scheme endeavours to return people to their own communities unless there is reason not to.

Commission for Racial Equality

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the Commission for Racial Equality was asked to conduct a race impact assessment on the introduction of the indeterminate sentence for public protection.

David Hanson: The Commission for Racial Equality worked with the Home Office to identify a list of provisions in the Criminal Justice Act 2003, prior to its introduction, for impact assessment—this list did not include the provision relating to the sentence of imprisonment for public protection.

Community Orders: Expenditure

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how much was spent by his Department on programmes directed at offenders given community sentences in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how much was spent by his Department on programmes directed at offenders with community sentences in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: Probation boards meet the cost of delivering accredited programmes through their grant as they see fit to meet their statutory duties. Accredited programmes can be delivered to offenders on both community sentences and on licence in the community following a custodial sentence. Data are only available on the budgeted cost of delivering programmes to offenders under probation supervision and are not differentiated by sentence type. Probation boards' budgeted spend on Accredited programmes is as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2005-06 77 
			 2006-07 85 
			 2007-08 86.5 
		
	
	There is no information relating to expenditure for years leading up to 2005.

Community Orders: Per Capita Costs

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on administering each type of community sentence in each of the last five years; and what the cost per offender was in each category.

Maria Eagle: Probation Boards meet the cost of delivering community sentences through their grant as they see fit to meet their statutory duties. The Criminal Justice Act 2003 established the new community order as a single community sentence with a number of elements in respect of offences committed after 4 April 2005. This replaced the separate community sentences which existed previously. 2005-06 was a transitional year with pre-CJA 2003 and post CJA 2003 sentences. From 2005 to present, cost exercises have been carried out by Probation Boards annually and have produced the planned cost of a range of activities. These together represent the best available data on the planned cost of administering and delivering the Community Order and include Probation Board overhead costs. The planned costs are as follows:
	2005-06—£418 million—cost per offender commencement £2,400
	2006-07—£519 million—cost per offender under supervision £1,831
	2007-08—£496 million—cost per offender under supervision £1,677
	The costing methodology changed between the 2005-06 and subsequent exercises which means that they are not directly comparable. The 2005-06 exercise provides a cost per offender commencement; subsequent exercises provide a cost per offender under supervision.
	There is no information relating to expenditure for years leading up to 2005.

Departmental Data Protection

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether personal data for which his Department is responsible are  (a) stored and  (b) processed overseas; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: The Department does not have any personal data for which it is responsible stored or processed overseas.

Departmental Data Protection

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what obligations his Department and its agencies place on contractors in relation to the audit of personal data and IT equipment.

Michael Wills: The Department's information technology is provided mainly through contracts with external suppliers. The contracts place obligations on contractors to provide IT and data management systems that meet government security standards, including the standard for Information systems risk management known as HMG Infosec Standard 2, and the Ministry of Justice's own security policies and standards.
	The contracts place obligations on contractors to comply fully with all legislative requirements, including the relevant provisions of the Data Protection Act.
	There is also provision for the Department to undertake audits to ensure compliance with all provisions of the contracts. For example, all new systems, and any that involve a significant upgrade or change, are subject to rigorous audit before acceptance into live service.
	The Department also has appropriate measures in place to protect the confidentiality and integrity of its data and systems. For example, contracted staff employed by Her Majesty's Prison Service (HMPS) and the National Probation Service, are security cleared to an appropriate level commensurate with the level of access they have to data.

Departmental Data Protection

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what audits his Department and its agencies have carried out in relation to personal data and IT equipment in each of the last 10 years.

Michael Wills: Our IT suppliers are contractually obliged to maintain the Department's IT systems in accordance with government security standards, and the relevant provisions of the Data Protection Act. Assurance that these security standards are being met is obtained through compliance with the HMG standard for information systems risk management, known as HMG Infosec Standard 2.
	The Ministry of Justice and its agencies undertake a formal programme of audits each year as well as carrying out other internal reviews as required. The scope of these audits is dependent on the reason for the audit taking place, or the specific terms of reference for the review. Past audit programmes undertaken by the former Department for Constitutional Affairs have contained a number of audits that have included coverage of systems and procedures incorporating aspects of personal data, including their storage and processing. Audit reports have been issued and action taken where necessary.
	Her Majesty's Prison Service (HMPS) is subject to continuous audit, under the oversight of the NAO. The results are considered by the HMPS's audit committee.

Departmental Marketing

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many posters or displays there are in the offices of his Department and its agencies displaying the names and photographs of Ministers; and what the cost has been of producing such posters or displays since its establishment.

Maria Eagle: Since the Ministry of Justice was established on 9 May 2007, no posters or displays showing the names or photographs of Ministers have been displayed in the offices of the Ministry or of its agencies.

English Language

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on English language classes for staff in the last year for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: There is no centrally held information on English language classes for staff. Written and oral communication skills are tested as part of the recruitment process. Line Managers work with individuals to identify any learning and development needs. Staff who need to expand their English language skills are able to access support via the Department's Further Education Programme.

Forced Marriage

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to ensure that people vulnerable to forced marriages are made aware of the provisions of the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice is working closely with other Departments to decide the best ways in which to publicise the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 to victims and potential victims of forced marriage when it comes into force in autumn 2008. We will build on the ongoing outreach programme of the joint Home Office/Foreign and Commonwealth Office Forced Marriage Unit. The Forced Marriage Unit in collaboration with Karma Nirvana (an NGO based in Derby) are piloting a survivor's helpline this year, and helpline staff will receive guidance in the provisions of the Act. We are considering how best to engage public authorities and voluntary sector organisations before the Act is implemented, to raise their awareness and ensure they meet their statutory obligations and provide co-ordinated support for victims.

Harriet Harman

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on what date the Permanent Secretary of the former Department for Constitutional Affairs received notice of each donation made to the then Minister of State in relation to her campaign for the deputy leadership of the Labour Party; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: In accordance with the requirements of the ministerial code, a list of Ministers' relevant interests declared to their permanent secretary will be published in due course.

HM Prison Service

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will make a statement on the recruitment procedures in place for the appointment of the Director General of HM Prison Service.

Maria Eagle: As the Director General, HMPS has not indicated an intention to retire, there are no plans in place for recruitment of a successor.

HM Prison Service

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the Director General of HM Prison Service has given notice of his intention to retire; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: It is not appropriate to comment on individuals and their future plans.
	Retirement provisions are common across the senior civil service. In accordance with the provisions of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006, from 1 October 2006, retirement age for senior civil servants was raised to 65.

Homicide: Bail

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance his Department provides the judiciary on the granting of bail to people accused of murder; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: Whether to grant bail, or not, is and must remain a decision for the courts to make within the statutory framework provided by Parliament in the Bail Act 1976 as amended, taking account of relevant case-law. It is the responsibility of the Government to keep the statutory framework under careful review, bringing proposals for change to Parliament as necessary.
	The 1976 Act as amended provides for a general presumption that bail will be granted in all cases, including murder, except in specific circumstances which have to be supported by evidence. The court can impose conditions to prevent absconding, committing further crime while on bail, interfering with witnesses or for the purpose of medical or other reports: s3(6A) deals with the need for such a report when bail is granted in murder cases. In addition, it may require a defendant to provide security. The exception to this, under section 25 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, is that bail can only be granted in exceptional circumstances in cases of homicide (or rape) where there has been a previous conviction for such an offence.

Homicide: Bail

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many suspects were  (a) remanded in custody,  (b) bailed on tag and  (c) bailed without tagging for a charge of (i) murder, (ii) rape, (iii) manslaughter and (iv) grievous bodily harm in the last year for which information is available.

Jack Straw: Data published by my Department show that 13,900 persons were remanded in custody in 2006 for offences in the 'Violence against the Person' group, which includes the offences of murder, manslaughter and grievous bodily harm, as well as a wide range of other offences. 2,300 persons were remanded in custody for sexual offences, which include rape. These figures exclude persons held in police cells. These data are taken from the annual publication "Offender Management Caseload Statistics, 2006", table 7.2. No further breakdown is available by offence type within the groups.
	64,800 persons were bailed by the courts for offences in the 'Violence against the Person' group in 2006. 10,100 persons were bailed for sexual offences. These figures include those also held in custody for some but not the whole period of the proceedings. These data are taken from the annual publication "Criminal Statistics 2006, England and Wales", table 4.9. No further breakdown is available.
	The total number of times the courts imposed 'bail on tag' in 2006-07 was 18,321. A breakdown of data by offence type for bail involving electronic tagging is not available.

Honours

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether there is an upper limit on the number of honours awarded in  (a) the new year honours list and  (b) the birthday honours List to (i) citizens resident in the UK and (ii) citizens resident in the British Crown dependencies.

Michael Wills: No more than 1,000 names may appear in the Prime Minister's recommendations for the new year honours list or the Queen's birthday honours list. There are no separate limits for citizens resident in the UK and citizens resident in the British Crown dependencies.

Honours

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what arrangements are in place to administer nominations for honours for citizens of  (a) the British overseas territories and  (b) the UK.

Michael Wills: Nominations for citizens of the overseas territories are administered by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Successful nominations appear on the diplomatic service and overseas list.
	The process is the same for citizens of the British overseas territories as for citizens of the UK. Nominations are channelled through the relevant Department of State and submitted to the Cabinet Office ceremonial secretariat for consideration by the specialist honours sub-committees. The sub-committees make recommendations to the main Honours Committee which advises the Cabinet Secretary. The Cabinet Secretary puts the recommendations to the Prime Minister for onward transmission to the Queen. The Prime Minister has stated that he will not seek to amend the recommendations in any way.

Honours: Channel Islands

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many honours have been awarded to individuals from the Channel Islands since 1997.

Michael Wills: Until June 1999 figures for the Channel Islands were amalgamated with those for the Isle of Man. Between January 1997 and January 1999 47 individuals from the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man inclusive were recognised in the Prime Minister's honours recommendations. Between June 1999 and December 2007 92 individuals from the Channels Islands were recognised in the Prime Minister's honours recommendations.

Honours: Crown Dependencies

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the process is whereby honours are awarded to citizens from British Crown dependencies.

Michael Wills: In common with citizens in the UK there are two routes by which citizens from the British Crown dependencies enter the honours system:
	Nomination by an individual or a public/private sector organisation familiar with the work of the candidate.
	Submission by the Lieutenant Governors of the Crown dependencies, via the Ministry of Justice, who have identified candidates doing good work within their island communities or in a wider international field. (Candidates may be identified as a result of nominations sent to the Lieutenant Governors from public or private sources).

Honours: Public Service

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether individuals filling certain public roles are awarded honours as a matter of custom.

Michael Wills: With the exception of High Court judicial appointments, honours are not automatically attached to particular posts in either the public or the private sector.

Land Registry Direct

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which Government  (a) departments and  (b) agencies have business user accounts with Land Registry Direct.

Michael Wills: The following Government Departments and agencies have business user accounts with Land Registry Direct.
	Assets Recovery Agency
	Charity Commission
	Child Support Agency
	Crown Prosecution Service
	Defence Estates
	Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
	Department for Communities and Local Government
	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	Department for Work and Pensions
	Environment Agency
	Forestry Commission
	Health and Safety Executive
	Highways Agency
	HM Courts Service
	HM Prison Service
	HM Revenue and Customs
	Home Office
	Home Office—Border And Immigration Agency
	Insolvency Service
	Legal Services Commission
	National Offender Management Service
	Rural Payments Agency
	Serious Fraud Office
	The Crown Estate
	The Office of the Public Guardian
	Treasury Solicitor's Department
	Valuation Office Agency
	Vehicle and Operator Services Agency

National Offender Management Service: Border and Immigration Agency

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on what dates the Chief Executive of the National Offender Management Service and the Chief Executive of the Border and Immigration Agency have met in the last 12 months.

Jack Straw: Over the last 12 months the chief executive of the National Offender Management Service and the chief executive of the Border and Immigration Agency have held regular meetings on both a bilateral and wider basis. These have been conducted through face to face and teleconferencing discussions.
	Additionally, other NOMS and BIA directors have met on a regular basis to discuss issues concerning foreign national prisoners. Since April 2007 a monthly liaison meeting has been held between BIA and NOMS officials to ensure that the management of this group of prisoners and their detention and deportation, where appropriate, is as efficient as possible.

National Offender Management Service: Expenditure

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent on central management for the Probation Service and subsequently the National Offender Management Services in England and Wales in each financial year since 1997-98.

Maria Eagle: The National Probation Directorate (NPD) was the sponsoring unit of the National Probation Service (NPS) from 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2007.
	The responsibilities of NPD included a number of front line and support services as well as central management. Expenditure on central management is not separately identified, but expenditure on "Administration Costs" as opposed to "Programme Costs", was as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2001-02 10.858 
			 2002-03 11.300 
			 2003-04 14.267 
			 2004-05 10.579 
			 2005-06 4.887 
			 2006-07 3.652 
		
	
	Since January 2005 certain functions have transferred from NPD to the centre of the National Offender Management Service and from 1 April 2007, expenditure is completely subsumed within NOMS centre.
	NOMS central costs are not specifically allocated to separate activities including central management of probation services and to attempt to separately identify the costs would be a disproportionate cost.
	Prior to 2001, the NPS and NPD did not exist as such and comparable figures are not available.

National Offender Management Service: ICT

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much has been spent by the National Probation Service on development of C-NOMIS; and how much has been spent in total by his Department on making C-NOMIS available to the Probation Service.

Jack Straw: As stated in the written ministerial statement laid before Parliament on 8 January 2008, and following the Strategic Review of the NOMIS Programme, probation areas will no longer be receiving the C-NOMIS application.
	However, the probation specific projects now established within the new NOMIS Programme, and those which will provide arrangements to allow the sharing of information between public prisons and probation areas, and replace at risk probation case management systems, will continue to derive benefit from the investment and work on NOMIS to date. In addition, work completed by the programme on dependent projects, such as improving the OMNI infrastructure, will also provide further benefit.
	C-NOMIS has been, and continues to be, funded centrally through the National Offender Management Service and nearly all of the expenditure attributable to it is relevant to its future use in HMPS as 'Prison NOMIS'. No separate funding has been provided. About £1 million of computer hardware was acquired for use by probation in association with C-NOMIS. This is being reallocated to other projects which have similar hardware needs.

Offenders: Accommodation

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many  (a) suspects,  (b) convicted unsentenced offenders,  (c) convicted offenders on community sentences and  (d) prisoners on licence were provided with accommodation by ClearSprings in each month since August 2007;
	(2)  how much was paid to ClearSprings for the provision of bail and home detention accommodation in each month since July;
	(3)  what the criteria are for identifying properties to be managed by ClearSprings for the provision of bail and home detention accommodation;
	(4)  what properties  (a) are and  (b) will be managed by ClearSprings for the provision of bail and home detention accommodation in England and Wales.

Jack Straw: The Bail Accommodation and Support Service provided by ClearSprings is for defendants on bail and offenders on home detention curfew. It is not available for offenders on community sentences. Information on the breakdown of bail cases between those untried and those convicted but unsentenced cannot be obtained except at disproportionate cost. The numbers of those provided with accommodation in each month is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Bail (a) untried and (b) convicted unsentenced combined  Home detention curfew (d) 
			 August 2007 23 7 
			 September 2007 24 13 
			 October 2007 36 23 
			 November 2007 69 42 
			 December 2007 55 47 
			 January 2008 (up to 14 January) 16 20 
		
	
	During the period July to December 2007 £2,391,470 was paid to ClearSprings Management Ltd. in respect of accommodation provided.
	The Regional Offender Managers in England and the director of Offender Management in Wales identify the towns in which accommodation is required based on the distribution pattern of remand prisoner and offender origins. ClearSprings consult with the police and local authorities and probation when acquiring properties so that local knowledge can inform the selection of addresses and to avoid inappropriate locations. The scheme endeavours to return people to their own communities unless there is reason not to.
	A list of towns or areas, by county, where accommodation is currently provided or is being sought is in the following table. The distribution will be reviewed regularly by the Regional Offender Managers in the light of experience and adjustments will be made to the locations of addresses to match supply to the pattern of demand, so that in general people can be placed in the communities from which they originate.
	
		
			  ClearSprings—locations where accommodation is provided or being sought 
			  Region and town  County  Accommodation provided at 11 January 2008 
			 Bath Avon and Somerset Yes 
			 Bristol Avon and Somerset Yes 
			 Taunton/Yeovil Avon and Somerset — 
			 Weston-Super-Mare Avon and Somerset Yes 
			 Bedford Bedfordshire — 
			 Luton Bedfordshire Yes 
			 Newbury Berkshire — 
			 Reading Berkshire Yes 
			 Slough Berkshire — 
			 High Wycombe Buckinghamshire — 
			 Milton Keynes Buckinghamshire — 
			 Peterborough Cambridgeshire Yes 
			 Chester Cheshire — 
			 Crewe Cheshire Yes 
			 Macclesfield Cheshire — 
			 Northwich Cheshire — 
			 Runcorn Cheshire — 
			 Warrington Cheshire — 
			 Barrow-in-Furness Cumbria — 
			 Carlisle Cumbria — 
			 Kendal Cumbria — 
			 Whitehaven Cumbria — 
			 Workington Cumbria — 
			 Chesterfield Derbyshire — 
			 Derby Derbyshire Yes 
			 Bodmin Devon and Cornwall — 
			 Plymouth Devon and Cornwall Yes 
			 St. Austell Devon and Cornwall — 
			 Willand Devon and Cornwall Yes 
			 Bournemouth Dorset — 
			 Salisbury/Shaftsbury Dorset — 
			 Darlington Durham — 
			 Durham Durham Yes 
			 Easington District Durham — 
			 Hartlepool Durham — 
			 Stockton Durham — 
			 Carmarthen Dyfed — 
			 Llanelli Dyfed Yes 
			 Eastbourne/Hastings East Sussex — 
			 Haywards Heath/Hove/Worthing East Sussex — 
			 Basildon/Laindon Essex Yes 
			 Chelmsford/Maldon Essex — 
			 Colchester Essex — 
			 Harlow Essex — 
			 Gloucester Gloucestershire Yes 
			 Ashton-under-Lyne Greater Manchester — 
			 Bolton Greater Manchester Yes 
			 Bury Greater Manchester Yes 
			 Eccles Greater Manchester — 
			 Leigh Greater Manchester Yes 
			 Manchester Greater Manchester Yes 
			 Oldham Greater Manchester Yes 
			 Rochdale Greater Manchester — 
			 Sale Greater Manchester — 
			 Salford Greater Manchester — 
			 Stockport Greater Manchester — 
			 Wigan Greater Manchester Yes 
			 Newport Gwent Yes 
			 Basingstoke/Winchester/Andover/Aldershot/Alton Hampshire — 
			 Portsmouth Hampshire Yes 
			 Southampton Hampshire Yes 
			 Droitwich Hereford and Worcs — 
			 Evesham Hereford and Worcs — 
			 Hereford Hereford and Worcs — 
			 Kidderminster Hereford and Worcs — 
			 Redditch Hereford and Worcs — 
			 Worcester Hereford and Worcs — 
			 Cheshunt Hertfordshire Yes 
			 Hatfield Hertfordshire — 
			 Stevenage Hertfordshire — 
			 Grimsby Humberside Yes 
			 Hull Humberside Yes 
			 Scunthorpe Humberside — 
			 Canterbury Kent — 
			 Chatham Kent Yes 
			 Dover Kent — 
			 Folkestone/Ashford Kent — 
			 Maidstone/Sittingbourne/Gillingham/Rochester Kent Yes 
			 Accrington Lancashire — 
			 Blackburn Lancashire — 
			 Blackpool Lancashire — 
			 Burnley Lancashire Yes 
			 Lancaster Lancashire — 
			 Middleton Lancashire Yes 
			 Nelson Lancashire Yes 
			 Ormskirk Lancashire — 
			 Preston Lancashire Yes 
			 Skelmersdale Lancashire Yes 
			 Leicester Leicestershire Yes 
			 Loughborough Leicestershire — 
			 Lincoln Lincolnshire Yes 
			 Barking and Dagenham BC London Yes 
			 Barnet BC London Yes 
			 Bexley London — 
			 Brent London Yes 
			 Bromley London — 
			 Camden London — 
			 Corporation Of London London — 
			 Croydon BC London Yes 
			 Ealing BC/Hounslow BC London — 
			 Enfield BC London Yes 
			 Greenwich BC London — 
			 Hackney BC London Yes 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham BC London — 
			 Haringey BC London Yes 
			 Harrow BC London — 
			 Havering BC London — 
			 Hillingdon BC London — 
			 Islington BC London — 
			 Kensington and Chelsea BC London — 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames BC London — 
			 Lambeth BC London Yes 
			 Lewisham BC London Yes 
			 Merton BC London — 
			 Newham BC London Yes 
			 Redbridge BC London Yes 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames London — 
			 Southwark BC London Yes 
			 Sutton BC London — 
			 Tower Hamlets BC London — 
			 Waltham Forest BC London Yes 
			 Wandsworth BC London — 
			 Westminster BC London — 
			 Birkenhead Merseyside — 
			 Bootle Merseyside — 
			 Huyton Merseyside — 
			 Knowsley Merseyside — 
			 Liverpool Merseyside Yes 
			 St. Helens Merseyside Yes 
			 Wallasey Merseyside — 
			 Norwich Norfolk Yes 
			 Colwyn Bay North Wales — 
			 Wrexham North Wales Yes 
			 Middlesbrough North Yorkshire — 
			 Thornaby North Yorkshire Yes 
			 Corby Northamptonshire Yes 
			 Northampton (Abington) Northamptonshire Yes 
			 Ashington Northumberland Yes 
			 Mansfield Nottinghamshire — 
			 Nottingham Nottinghamshire Yes 
			 Sutton-in-Ashby Nottinghamshire — 
			 Worksop Nottinghamshire — 
			 Oxford/Banbury/Bicester Oxfordshire — 
			 Shrewsbury Shropshire — 
			 Telford Shropshire Yes 
			 Bridgend South Wales Yes 
			 Caerphilly South Wales — 
			 Cardiff South Wales Yes 
			 Pontypridd South Wales Yes 
			 Swansea South Wales — 
			 Tonteg South Wales Yes 
			 Merthyr South Wales — 
			 Barnsley South Yorkshire — 
			 Doncaster South Yorkshire — 
			 Rotherham South Yorkshire Yes 
			 Sheffield South Yorkshire — 
			 Burton upon Trent Staffordshire — 
			 Newcastle-under-Lyme Staffordshire Yes 
			 Stafford Staffordshire Yes 
			 Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire Yes 
			 Tamworth Staffordshire — 
			 Ipswich Suffolk Yes 
			 Guildford/Godalming Surrey — 
			 Staines/Bracknell Surrey — 
			 Woking/Farnborough Surrey — 
			 Chichester/Arundel Sussex Yes 
			 Crawley/Redhill Sussex — 
			 Gateshead Tyne and Wear — 
			 Jarrow Tyne and Wear Yes 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne Tyne and Wear Yes 
			 North Tyneside (Blythe) Tyne & Wear Yes 
			 Sunderland Tyne and Wear Yes 
			 Nuneaton Warwickshire — 
			 Rugby Warwickshire — 
			 Warwick Warwickshire — 
			 Birmingham West Midlands Yes 
			 Coventry West Midlands Yes 
			 Dudley West Midlands Yes 
			 Oldbury West Midlands Yes 
			 Smethwick West Midlands Yes 
			 Solihull West Midlands — 
			 Stourbridge West Midlands — 
			 Sutton Coldfield West Midlands — 
			 Walsall West Midlands Yes 
			 Warley West Midlands — 
			 West Bromwich West Midlands — 
			 Wolverhampton West Midlands Yes 
			 Dewsbury West Yorkshire — 
			 Halifax West Yorkshire — 
			 Huddersfield West Yorkshire Yes 
			 Leeds/Bradford West Yorkshire Yes 
			 Pontefract/Wakefield West Yorkshire — 
			 Swindon Wiltshire Yes

Offenders: Rehabilitation

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what research was conducted into the effectiveness of offender behaviour programmes before they were put into use.

David Hanson: The offending behaviour programmes that have been introduced into prisons and probation are based on the best available international evidence. This has included a thorough review of UK and international programmes and their evaluations to identify the types of programmes that appear to be the most effective in reducing re-offending and tackling key aspects of offenders' thinking and behaviour. Home Office Research Study 291 published in February 2005, 'The impact of corrections on re-offending: a review of what works' summarises some of the key findings. In order to ensure rigour in the design of programmes each one has had to demonstrate a sound theoretical, empirical and evidence base as part of the process of accreditation by a panel of independent experts. There is considerable evidence to support the effectiveness of offending behaviour programmes in reducing re-offending.

Offenders: Rehabilitation

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether reduction of re-offending is an aim of offender behaviour programmes.

David Hanson: Yes. One of the intended aims of offending behaviour programmes is to reduce re-offending. It aims to do this by contributing to the overall strategy to reduce recidivism by addressing attitudinal and behavioural factors known to be related to re-offending. There is considerable evidence to support the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural programmes in reducing re-offending.

Offenders: Rehabilitation

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much offender behaviour programmes cost to implement in the latest period for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: In relation to the probation service, data are only available on the budgeted cost of delivering programmes to offenders under their supervision in the community. Probation Boards meet the cost of delivering accredited programmes through their grant as they see fit to meet their statutory duties. Probation Boards' budgeted expenditure on accredited programmes for 2007-08 is £86.5 million.
	In relation to the HM Prison Service, the funding for delivery of offending behaviour programmes is part of establishment baselines. Based on an estimated average cost per programme completion and the number of completions in 2006-07, we estimate that the cost of delivering accredited offending behaviour programmes in 2006-07 to be approximately £25 million.

Offenders: Rehabilitation

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners participated in each type of offender behaviour programme in the latest year for which figures are available, broken down by prison establishment.

Maria Eagle: The following table sets out the number of accredited offending behaviour programmes completed by prisoners by establishment in 2006-07.
	Offending behaviour programme completions by programme and establishment in 2006-07
	
		
			  Establishment ( 1) SOTP ( 2) CALM ( 3) CSB ( 4) CSCP ( 5) ETS inc. JETS ( 6) HRP ( 7) Chromis ( 8) FOR 
			 Acklington 52 — — — 62 15 — — 
			 Albany 66 — 20 — 62 — — — 
			 Altcourse — — — — — — — — 
			 Ashfield — — — — — — — — 
			 Ashwell — — — — 78 — — — 
			 Askham Grange — — — — — — — — 
			 Aylesbury 18 22 — — 111 — — — 
			 Bedford — — — — — — — — 
			 Belmarsh — — — — — — — — 
			 Birmingham — — 9 — 58 — — — 
			 Blakenhurst — — 10 — 90 — — — 
			 Blantyre House — — — — — — — — 
			 Blundeston — 30 6 — 64 — — — 
			 Brinsford — — — — 40 — — — 
			 Bristol — 17 — — 51 — — — 
			 Brixton — — — — 33 — — — 
			 Brockhill — — — — — — — — 
			 Bronzefield — — — — — — — 20 
			 Buckley Hall — — — — 53 — — — 
			 Bullingdon 68 — — — 87 — — — 
			 Bulwood Hall — — — — — — — — 
			 Camp Hill — 6 — — 47 — — — 
			 Canterbury — — — — — — — — 
			 Cardiff — 24 — — 70 — — — 
			 Castington — — — — 36 — — — 
			 Channings Wood 34 — — 6 75 — — — 
			 Chelmsford — — — — 40 — — — 
			 Coldingley — — — — — — — — 
			 Cookham Wood — — — — — — — — 
			 Dartmoor — 28 — — 64 — — — 
			 Deerbolt — — — — 68 — — — 
			 Doncaster — — — — — — — — 
			 Dorchester — — — — — — — — 
			 Dovegate — — — — 56 — — — 
			 Dover — — — — — — — — 
			 Downview — — — — 40 — — — 
			 Drake Hall — — 35 — 47 — — — 
			 Durham — — — — — — — — 
			 East Sutton Park — — — — — — — — 
			 Eastwood Park — — — — — — — — 
			 Edmunds Hill — — — — — — — — 
			 Elmley 25 — — — 65 — — — 
			 Eriestoke — — — — 67 6 — — 
			 Everthorpe — — — — 56 — — — 
			 Exeter — — — — 51 — — — 
			 Featherstone — 24 18 — 58 — — — 
			 Feltham — — — — — — — — 
			 Ford — — 12 — 19 — — — 
			 Forest Bank — — — — — — — — 
			 FostonHall — — — — 55 — — — 
			 Frankland 43 — — — 67 — 20 — 
			 Full Sutton 38 — — — 46 — — — 
			 Garth — — — — 102 — — — 
			 Gartree — 31 — 6 77 15 — — 
			 Glen Parva — 16 — — 65 — — — 
			 Gloucester — — — — — — — — 
			 Grendon — — — — — — — — 
			 Glen Parva — — — — — — — — 
			 Guys Marsh — — — — 70 — — — 
			 Haverigg — — — — — — — — 
			 Hewell Grange — — — — — — — — 
			 Highdown — — — — — — — — 
			 Highpoint — — 23 — 79 — — — 
			 Hindley — — — — 88 — — — 
			 Hollesley Bay — — — — — — — — 
			 Holloway — — — — — — — 37 
			 Holme House — — — — 45 — — — 
			 Hull 75 — — — 123 — — 65 
			 Huntercombe — — — — — — — — 
			 Kingston — 26 — — 17 — — — 
			 Kirkham — — — — — — — — 
			 Kirklevington — — — — — — — — 
			 Lancaster Castle — — — — — — — — 
			 Lancaster Farms — — — — 81 — — — 
			 Latchmere House — — — — — — — — 
			 Leeds — — — — — — — — 
			 Leicester — — — — — — — — 
			 Lewes — — — — — — —  
			 Leyhill 32 — 28 — 20 — — — 
			 Lincoln — — — — — — — — 
			 Lindholme — — — — 76 — — — 
			 Littlehey 48 — — — 72 — — — 
			 Liverpool — — — — 123 — — — 
			 Long Lartin — 21 — 6 32 — — — 
			 Low Newton — — — — 37 — — 56 
			 Lowdham Grange — — — — 79 — — — 
			 Maidstone 20 — — — 110 — — — 
			 Manchester 16 — — — 49 16 — — 
			 Moorland Closed — 27 — — 63 — — — 
			 Moorland Open — — — — 8 — — — 
			 Morton Hall — — — — — — — — 
			 New Hall — — — — 48 — — — 
			 North Sea Camp — — — — — — — — 
			 Northallerton — — — — — — — — 
			 Norwich — — 26 — 108 — — — 
			 Nottingham — — — — — — — — 
			 Onley — — — — 77 — — — 
			 Parc 24 — — — 56 — — 82 
			 Parkhurst — 24 — 7 60 — — — 
			 Pentonville — 30 — — 104 — — — 
			 Peterborough — — — — 24 — — — 
			 Portland — — — — 64 — — — 
			 Prescoed — — — — — — — — 
			 Preston — — — — 70 — — — 
			 Ranby — — — — 88 — — — 
			 Reading — — — — 45 — — — 
			 Risley 62 31 — — 103 — — 5 
			 Rochester — — — — — — — — 
			 Rye Hill 40 — — — 69 — — — 
			 Send — — — — 39 — — — 
			 Shepton Mallet 41 — 3 — 29 — — — 
			 Shrewsbury — — — — — — — — 
			 Spring Hill — — — — — — — — 
			 Stafford 52 — 19 — 84 — — — 
			 Standford Hill — — 8 — 8 — — — 
			 Stocken — 25 — — 56 — — — 
			 Stoke Heath — — — — 53 — — — 
			 Styal — — — — 42 — — 6 
			 Sudbury — — 18 — 18 — — — 
			 Swaleside — 30 36 8 122 — — — 
			 Swansea — — — — 32 — — — 
			 Swinfen Hall 52 36 35 — 104 — — — 
			 The Mount — 8 — — 68 — — — 
			 Thorn Cross — — — — 91 — — — 
			 Usk 60 — — — 58 — — — 
			 Verne — — — — 67 — — — 
			 Wakefield 49 — — — 62 — — — 
			 Wandsworth 64 — — — 72 — — — 
			 Warren Hill — — — — 16 — — — 
			 Wayland 54 — — — 66 — — — 
			 Wealstun — — — — 49 — — — 
			 Weare — — — — — — — — 
			 Wellingborough — — — — 93 — — 8 
			 Werrington — — — — — — — — 
			 Wetherby — — — — 38 — — — 
			 Whatton 148 19 19 — 74 7 — — 
			 Whitemoor — 16 — — 43 — — — 
			 Winchester — — — — — — — — 
			 Wolds — 22 24 — 38 — — — 
			 Woodhill — — — — 44 — — — 
			 Wormwood Scrubs — — — — 57 — — — 
			 Wymott 43 — 30 — 117 — — — 
			 Totals 1,224 513 379 33 5,793 59 20 279 
			 (1 )SOTP—Sex Offender Treatment Programme (2 )CALM—Controlling Anger and Learning to Manage it (3 )CSB—Cognitive Skills Booster programme (4 )CSCP—Cognitive Self Change Programme (5 )ETS—Enhanced Thinking Skills including ETS for juveniles (6 )HRP—Healthy Relationships Programme (7 )Chromis—a programme for violent offenders with high levels of psychopathy (8 )FOR—A resettlement programme

Prison Service: Dismissal

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many Prison Service employees have been dismissed as a result of their non-compliance with rules on  (a) sex and  (b) race discrimination in the last five years for which figures are available.

David Hanson: According to centrally held records in the public sector Prison Service, 24 employees were dismissed as a result of their non-compliance with rules on sex discrimination and race discrimination between January 2003 and December 2007.

Prisoners Release

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance is given to prison governors on arrangements for releasing juveniles at the end of their sentences when they have no accommodation arranged.

Maria Eagle: Prison Service Order 6400 requires that, where a prisoner has no address to go to on release, the relevant housing advice or resettlement/youth offending team worker must be informed.
	Planning for a young person's resettlement, in particular the living arrangements, must begin during induction and continue throughout the custodial period. The relevant youth offending team must ensure that each young person gains access, where appropriate, to the accommodation services which local authority social services and housing departments have a duty to provide.

Prisoners Release: Foreigners

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convicted foreign national prisoners were released from prisons in England and Wales in the last 12 months.

Jack Straw: There were 78,400 discharges from determinate sentences on completion of sentence or on licence of adult and young adult offenders in 2006 (the latest year for which data are available), of which around 7,300 (9 per cent.) were foreign nationals.
	For the proportion of total prisoners who are foreign nationals, Council of Europe data on foreign national prisoners held in other major western countries reveal much higher proportions, for example in Austria (43 per cent.), Spain (33 per cent.), Germany (28 per cent.) and France (21 per cent.) than the figure for England and Wales (14 per cent.), based on 2006 population data.
	The domestic figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners: Australasia

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) Australian and  (b) New Zealand nationals are in prison in the UK.

David Hanson: At the end of September 2007, the latest date for which figures are currently available, there were  (a) 26 Australian and  (b) 10 New Zealand prisoners held in all prison establishments in England and Wales.
	This information is available at the following website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/population-in-custodySep07.pdf
	The following website gives the publishing schedule for Ministry of Justice statistical publications:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/moj-stats-schedule.pdf
	Data for December 2007 will be published on 31 January 2008.
	Comparable information for Scotland and Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Scottish Executive and the Northern Ireland Prison Service.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners: Foreigners

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will place in the Library copies of all correspondence between the Border and Immigration Agency and the National Offender Management Service on policy towards foreign national prisoners.

Jack Straw: Policy towards foreign national prisoners is the subject of joint work and ongoing discussions between NOMS and BIA. The revised Prison Service Order 4630 was agreed as part of continuing policy development and detailed discussions on other matters have been the subject of the monthly liaison meetings which have taken place since April 2007. I have placed a copy of the PSO in the Library.
	Disclosure of correspondence into the public domain would prejudice the effective exchange of views between both BIA and NOMS which is necessary when developing policies and procedures in respect of foreign national prisoners.

Prisons

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the estimated cost is of creating the Titan prison model, including resources to  (a) develop,  (b) design,  (c) plan and  (d) procure the prison;
	(2)  what the estimated annual total running cost is of a 2,500-bed Titan prison;
	(3)  what the estimated total running costs are of the additional prison places due to be delivered by 2014;
	(4)  pursuant to his statement of 5 December 2007,  Official  Report, column 827, on prisons: Carter Review, how much of the £1.2 billion for prisons announced in his Statement is available for his Department to spend  (a) immediately and  (b) after March 2011;
	(5)  pursuant to his statement of 5 December 2007,  Official Report, on the Carter review of prisons, how much of the £1.2 billion for prisons will be available in each financial year up to 2014 for  (a) capital construction and  (b) resource spending;
	(6)  what proportion of the £1.2 billion for prisons announced in his statement of 5 December 2007,  Official Report, column 828, on the Carter review of prisons, has been allocated for  (a) building new prisons and  (b) increasing capacity in existing prisons.

Jack Straw: I announced on 5 December 2007 a programme for building 10,500 prison places to be delivered by 2014. This was in response to Lord Carter's Review on Prisons Securing the Future. The programme includes building up to three large 'Titan' prisons, housing around 2,500 prisoners each and closing old and inefficient prisons. The cost of construction (including development and design but not land) of the Titan prisons has been estimated to be around £350 million each at 2007-08 prices.
	The indicative funding profile for this programme for the CSR period 2008-09 to 2010-11 is shown in the following table. The table also includes provision for the purchase of land for Titans and for the possible conversion of a second military camp that has been provisionally allocated to the post 2011 SR period and will be subject to the usual SR process.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2008-09  2009-10  2010-11  2011-12  Total 
			 Resource 126.0 213.0 166.0 — 505.0 
			 Capital 326.0 183.0 (1)-10.0 — 499.0 
			   
			 Military camp (if required) — — — 108.0 108.0 
			 Land purchase for Titans — — — 122.0 122.0 
			 Total 452.0 396.0 156.0 230.0 1,234.0 
			 (1) -£10 million represents funding moved into earlier years to allow faster progress on the programme. 
		
	
	Around £700 million is estimated for the building and conversion of new places at existing prison sites. This is included in the aforementioned table. Funding does not include the construction and operating costs of the Titan prisons which are planned to open after 2011. This will also be subject to the usual SR process.
	Sites have been identified for quick build units within the prison estate and are subject to the usual planning process. However, planning for the individual projects (which includes Titans), including the delivery timeframe and capital and resource requirements in each year, is being developed. Work is progressing to assess the various procurement options and associated costs to deliver Titan prisons.
	The Carter Report (pages 19-20) gave estimates of a range of capital unit cost per place for the various security categories of prisoner accommodation. Currently the estimated capital cost of the programme announced on 5 December is £2.3 billion including the current CSR period and beyond.

Prisons

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the certified normal accommodation was for each prison in each week since 26 January 2007.

David Hanson: The following tables show the in-use CNA(1) for prisons in England and Wales on the last Friday of each month in 2007.
	(1) In-use certified normal accommodation (in-use CNA), or uncrowded capacity, is the sum total of all certified accommodation in an establishment less those places not available for immediate use, for example: damaged cells, cells affected by building works. In-use CNA does not normally include cells in punishment or segregation units or health care cells or rooms in training prisons and YOIs that are not routinely used to accommodate long stay patients.
	
		
			   2007 
			  Prison  January  February  March  April  May  June 
			 Acklington 854 854 854 854 854 854 
			 Albany 525 525 525 525 526 526 
			 Altcourse 614 614 614 614 614 614 
			 Ashfield 400 400 400 400 400 400 
			 Ashwell 535 535 535 535 535 535 
			 Askham Grange 126 126 126 126 126 126 
			 Aylesbury 437 437 437 437 437 437 
			 Bedford 325 325 325 325 325 324 
			 Belmarsh 799 799 799 799 799 799 
			 Birmingham 1,121 1,121 1,121 1,121 1,121 1,121 
			 Blakenhurst 821 821 821 821 821 821 
			 Blantyre House 122 122 122 122 122 122 
			 Blundeston 420 420 420 420 421 421 
			 Brinsford 473 473 473 473 473 473 
			 Bristol 420 420 420 420 420 420 
			 Brixton 606 606 606 606 606 606 
			 Brockhill 170 170 170 170 170 170 
			 Bronzefield 450 450 450 450 450 450 
			 Buckley Hall 350 350 350 350 350 350 
			 Bullingdon 759 759 759 759 759 759 
			 Bullwood Hall 180 180 180 180 180 180 
			 Camp Hill 523 523 523 523 523 523 
			 Canterbury 196 196 196 196 196 196 
			 Cardiff 524 524 524 524 524 524 
			 Castington 400 400 400 400 400 400 
			 Channings Wood 634 634 634 634 634 634 
			 Chelmsford 468 468 468 468 539 541 
			 Coldingley 370 370 370 370 370 370 
			 Cookham Wood 127 127 127 127 137 137 
			 Dartmoor 598 598 598 618 618 604 
			 Deerbolt 453 513 444 444 444 444 
			 Doncaster 771 771 771 771 771 771 
			 Dorchester 147 147 147 147 147 147 
			 Dovegate 800 800 800 800 800 800 
			 Dover 316 316 316 316 316 316 
			 Downview 347 358 356 358 358 358 
			 Drake Hall 315 315 315 315 315. 315 
			 Durham 591 591 591 591 591 591 
			 East Sutton Park 98 98 98 98 98 98 
			 Eastwood Park 326 326 326 326 326 326 
			 Edmunds Hill 366 366 366 366 366 366 
			 Elmley 753 753 753 753 753 753 
			 Erlestoke 426 426 426 426 426 426 
			 Everthorpe 642 642 642 642 602 602 
			 Exeter 316 316 316 316 316 316 
			 Featherstone 599 599 599 599 599 599 
			 Feltham 764 764 764 764 764 764 
			 Ford 541 541 541 541 541 541 
			 Forest Bank 800 800 800 800 800 800 
			 Foston Hall 283 283 283 283 283 283 
			 Frankland 727 727 727 727 727 727 
			 Full Sutton 592 592 592 592 592 592 
			 Garth 584 584 584 584 584 584 
			 Gartree 570 570 570 570 570 570 
			 Glen Parva 668 668 668 668 668 668 
			 Gloucester 225 225 225 225 225 225 
			 Grendon 241 241 240 240 240 240 
			 Guys Marsh 519 519 520 520 520 520 
			 Haslar 160 160 124 124 160 160 
			 Haverigg 558 558 558 558 558 558 
			 Hewell Grange 187 187 187 187 187 187 
			 Highdown 643 643 643 643 643 643 
			 Highpoint 792 792 792 792 792 792 
			 Hindley 431 431 507 515 515 515 
			 Hollesley Bay 330 330 330 330 330 330 
			 Holloway 487 487 487 487 487 487 
			 Holme House 857 857 857 857 857 857 
			 Hull 723 723 723 723 723 723 
			 Huntercombe 360 360 360 360 360 360 
			 Kennet 0 0 0 0 0 25 
			 Kingston 194 194 194 199 199 199 
			 Kirkham 588 588 588 588 588 590 
			 Kirklevington 223 223 223 223 223 223 
			 Lancaster 159 138 157 157 157 157 
			 Lancaster Farms 480 480 480 480 480 480 
			 Latchmere House 207 207 207 207 207 207 
			 Leeds 678 678 678 678 678 678 
			 Leicester 206 206 206 206 206 206 
			 Lewes 458 458 458 458 458 458 
			 Leyhill 512 512 512 512 512 512 
			 Lincoln 306 306 306 314 444 444 
			 Lindholme 982 982 982 982 982 982 
			 Littlehey 663 663 663 663 663 663 
			 Liverpool 1,129 1,131 1,131 1,131 1,128 1,128 
			 Long Lartin 454 454 454 454 454 454 
			 Low Newton 285 285 285 285 285 285 
			 Lowdham Grange 504 504 504 640 640 640 
			 Maidstone 559 559 559 559 559 558 
			 Manchester 954 954 954 954 954 954 
			 Moorland 740 740 740 740 740 740 
			 Moorland Open 260 260 260 260 260 260 
			 Morton Hall 392 392 392 392 392 392 
			 Mount 704 704 704 704 704 704 
			 New Hall 393 393 393 393 393 393 
			 North Sea Camp 306 306 306 306 306 306 
			 Northallerton 153 153 153 153 153 153 
			 Norwich 535 535 535 535 535 507 
			 Nottingham 383 383 383 383 379 379 
			 Onley 640 640 640 640 640 640 
			 Parc 838 838 838 838 838 838 
			 Parkhurst 448 462 462 462 460 461 
			 Pentonville 760 739 739 819 819 819 
			 Peterborough 840 840 840 840 840 840 
			 Portland 531 531 519 519 519 519 
			 Prescoed 167 167 167 167 167 167 
			 Preston 382 429 429 429 429 429 
			 Ranby 912 912 912 912 912 912 
			 Reading 190 190 190 190 190 182 
			 Risley 1,038 1,038 1,038 1,038 1,038 1,038 
			 Rochester 392 392 392 392 392 392 
			 Rye Hill 600 600 600 600 600 600 
			 Send 218 218 218 218 218 217 
			 Shepton Mallet 165 165 165 165 165 165 
			 Shrewsbury 181 181 181 181 181 181 
			 Spring Hill 329 329 334 334 334 334 
			 Stafford 676 680 680 680 680 680 
			 Standford Hill 464 464 464 464 464 464 
			 Stocken 595 595 595 595 595 595 
			 Stoke Heath 574 574 574 574 574 574 
			 Styal 442 449 449 449 449 449 
			 Sudbury 563 563 563 563 563 563 
			 Swaleside 756 756 756 756 756 756 
			 Swansea 240 240 240 240 240 240 
			 Swinfen Hall 600 600 600 600 600 600 
			 Thorn Cross 322 322 322 322 322 322 
			 Usk 150 150 150 150 150 150 
			 Verne 558 558 558 558 558 558 
			 Wakefield 748 748 748 748 748 748 
			 Wandsworth 965 965 965 965 965 965 
			 Warren Hill 222 222 222 222 222 222 
			 Wayland 657 657 657 657 657 657 
			 Wealstun 885 885 885 885 885 885 
			 Wellingborough 636 636 636 636 636 636 
			 Werrington 160 160 160 160 160 160 
			 Wetherby 360 360 360 360 360 360 
			 Whatton 719 719 698 698 698 698 
			 Whitemoor 464 464 464 464 464 464 
			 Winchester 378 378 378 378 378 378 
			 Wolds 320 320 320 320 320 320 
			 Woodhill 615 615 615 641 641 641 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 1,173 1,173 1,173 1,173 1,173 1,173 
			 Wymott 997 1,005 1,005 1,005 1,005 1,005 
		
	
	
		
			   2007 
			  Prison  July  August  September  October  November  December 
			 Acklington 854 882 882 882 882 882 
			 Albany 526 526 526 526 526 526 
			 Altcourse 614 614 794 794 794 794 
			 Ashfield 400 400 400 400 400 400 
			 Ashwell 535 535 535 535 535 534 
			 Askham Grange 126 126 126 126 126 126 
			 Aylesbury 437 437 437 437 437 437 
			 Bedford 324 324 324 324 324 322 
			 Belmarsh 799 799 799 799 799 799 
			 Birmingham 1,121 1,121 1,121 1,121 1,121 1,121 
			 Blakenhurst 821 821 821 821 821 821 
			 Blantyre House 122 122 122 122 122 122 
			 Blundeston 421 421 421 421 421 421 
			 Brinsford 473 473 473 473 473 473 
			 Bristol 420 420 420 420 420 420 
			 Brixton 606 606 606 606 606 606 
			 Brockhill 170 170 170 170 170 170 
			 Bronzefield 450 450 450 450 450 450 
			 Buckley Hall 350 350 350 350 350 350 
			 Bullingdon 759 759 759 759 759 759 
			 Bullwood Hall 180 180 180 180 170 170 
			 Camp Hill 523 523 523 523 523 523 
			 Canterbury 196 196 196 196 196 196 
			 Cardiff 524 524 524 524 524 524 
			 Castington 400 400 400 400 400 400 
			 Channings Wood 634 634 664 698 698 698 
			 Chelmsford 541 541 541 541 541 541 
			 Coldingley 370 370 370 370 370 370 
			 Cookham Wood 137 137 137 17 17 17 
			 Dartmoor 619 619 619 619 619 619 
			 Deerbolt 444 513 447 447 447 447 
			 Doncaster 771 771 771 771 771 771 
			 Dorchester 147 147 147 147 147 143 
			 Dovegate 800 800 800 800 800 800 
			 Dover 316 316 316 316 316 316 
			 Downview 358 358 358 358 358 358 
			 Drake Hall 315 315 315 315 315 315 
			 Durham 591 591 591 591 591 591 
			 East Sutton Park 98 98 98 98 98 98 
			 Eastwood Park 326 326 326 326 326 326 
			 Edmunds Hill 366 366 366 366 366 366 
			 Elmley 753 753 753 753 753 753 
			 Erlestoke 426 426 426 410 410 410 
			 Everthorpe 603 603 603 603 603 603 
			 Exeter 316 316 316 316 316 316 
			 Featherstone 619 663 663 663 663 663 
			 Feltham 764 764 762 762 762 762 
			 Ford 541 541 541 541 541 541 
			 Forest Bank 800 800 800 800 800 800 
			 Foston Hall 283 283 283 283 283 283 
			 Frankland 727 727 727 732 732 732 
			 Full Sutton 592 592 592 600, 600 600 
			 Garth 584 629 689 741 779 812 
			 Gartree 570 570 570 570 570 570 
			 Glen Parva 668 668 668 668 668 668 
			 Gloucester 225 225 225 225 225 225 
			 Grendon 240 215 215 215 215 215 
			 Guys Marsh 520 520 520 520 520 520 
			 Haslar 124 124 124 123 123 141 
			 Haverigg 558 558 558 558 622 622 
			 Hewell Grange 187 187 187 187 187 187 
			 Highdown 643 643 643 643 693 821 
			 Highpoint 792 792 792 788 788 792 
			 Hindley 515 515 515 527 539 523 
			 Hollesley Bay 330 330 330 330 330 330 
			 Holloway 498 498 498 498 498 498 
			 Holme House 857 857 857 857 857 857 
			 Hull 723 723 723 723 723 723 
			 Huntercombe 360 360 360 360 360 360 
			 Kennet 68 126 175 175 175 175 
			 Kingston 199 199 199 199 199 199 
			 Kirkham 590 590 590 590 590 590 
			 Kirklevington 223 223 223 223 223 223 
			 Lancaster 157 157 157 157 96 96 
			 Lancaster Farms 480 480 480 480 480 480 
			 Latchmere House 207 207 207 207 207 207 
			 Leeds 678 678 678 678 678 678 
			 Leicester 206 206 206 206 206 210 
			 Lewes 458 458 458 458 458 458 
			 Leyhill 512 512 512 512 512 512 
			 Lincoln 444 436 436 436 436 436 
			 Lindholme 982 982 982 982 1006 1042 
			 Littlehey 663 663 663 663 663 663 
			 Liverpool 1,128 1,142 1,160 1,160 1,160 1,160 
			 Long Lartin 454 454 426 426 426 426 
			 Low Newton 285 285 285 285 285 291 
			 Lowdham Grange 640 640 640 640 640 640 
			 Maidstone 558 451 451 451 451 451 
			 Manchester 954 954 954 954 954 954 
			 Moorland 740 740 740 740 740 740 
			 Moorland Open 260 260 260 260 260 260 
			 Morton Hall 392 392 392 392 392 392 
			 Mount 703 703 723 747 747 747 
			 New Hall 393 393 393 393 393 393 
			 North Sea Camp 306 306 306 306 306 306 
			 Northallerton 153 153 153 153 153 153 
			 Norwich 507 527 527 447 447 447 
			 Nottingham 379 379 379 379 379 379 
			 Onley 640 640 640 640 640 640 
			 Parc 838 838 838 838 838 838 
			 Parkhurst 462 462 462 462 461 453 
			 Pentonville 819 819 819 819 799 799 
			 Peterborough 840 840 840 840 840 840 
			 Portland 519 519 519 519 519 519 
			 Prescoed 167 167 167 167 167 167 
			 Preston 429 429 429 429 429 429 
			 Ranby 912 912 912 912 912 912 
			 Reading 182 182 182 182 182 182 
			 Risley 1,038 1,050 1,050 1,046 1,046 1,050 
			 Rochester 392 392 392 392 392 392 
			 Rye Hill 600 600 600 600 600 600 
			 Send 217 217 217 218 216 216 
			 Shepton Mallet 165 165 165 165 165 165 
			 Shrewsbury 181 181 181 181 175 175 
			 Spring Hill 333 333 333 333 333 333 
			 Stafford 680 680 680 680 680 680 
			 Standford Hill 464 464 464 464 464 464 
			 Stocken 595 595 595 635 685 715 
			 Stoke Heath 574 574 574 516 516 516 
			 Styal 449 450 450 450 450 450 
			 Sudbury 563 563 563 563 563 563 
			 Swaleside 756 756 756 751 751 751 
			 Swansea 240 240 240 240 240 240 
			 Swinfen Hall 600 600 600 600 600 600 
			 Thorn Cross 322 322 322 322 322 322 
			 Usk 150 150 150 150 150 150 
			 Verne 558 558 558 558 560 560 
			 Wakefield 748 748 748 748 748 748 
			 Wandsworth 965 965 965 965 965 965 
			 Warren Hill 222 222 222 222 222 222 
			 Wayland 657 657 657 657 657 657 
			 Wealstun 885 885 885 885 885 885 
			 Wellingborough 636 636 636 636 636 636 
			 Werrington 160 160 160 160 160 160 
			 Wetherby 360 360 360 360 360 360 
			 Whatton 698 698 697 697 733 758 
			 Whitemoor 464 464 464 464 464 464 
			 Winchester 378 378 380 380 380 380 
			 Wolds 320 320 320 320 320 320 
			 Woodhill 641 641 641 641 641 641 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 1,173 1,173 1,173 1,173 1,173 1,173 
			 Wymott 1,005 1,005 1,005 1,005 1,005 1,005

Prisons

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will make a statement on the provision of acupuncture in prisons.

Maria Eagle: The provision of alternative or complementary therapies, such as acupuncture, in prisons in England is a matter for the primary care trust responsible for commissioning health services at the establishment concerned.

Prisons

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average cost was of providing gyms in prisons in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Hanson: Since 1997 new gymnasium facilities have been provided at HMP Lancaster Farms, HMP New Hall and HMP Shrewsbury. The average cost of providing these gyms in the public sector is in the region of £2.1 million. Most provision of new gymnasium facilities since 1997 have been provided by the private sector in newly constructed prisons, for which costs are not readily available.

Prisons: Drugs

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cases of people smuggling drugs into prisons were detected in each of the last five years; and how many perpetrators in such were  (a) prison staff,  (b) inmates' visitors and  (c) other people, broken down by category.

David Hanson: The total number of recorded incidents of drugs/drug equipment being detected by prison staff being smuggled into prisons over the last five financial years are shown in table 1.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			   Total recorded incidents 
			 2002-03 2,658 
			 2003-04 2,939 
			 2004-05 3,445 
			 2005-06 3,551 
			 2006-07 3,488 
		
	
	These figures include reported incidents of attempts by visitors and prisoners to bring drugs onto the premises. They also include other methods such as throwing drugs over the wall or use of the post.
	 (a) Staff who are caught smuggling drugs are reported to the local police but information about the cases is not collated centrally.
	 (b) A comprehensive framework is in place for dealing with visitors who seek to smuggle drugs through visits. The number of visitors suspected of involvement in drug smuggling and the number of recorded incidents involving visitors being detected with drugs are shown in table 2.
	
		
			  Table 2 
			   Visitors suspected of smuggling  drugs  Visitor drug incidents( 1,2) 
			 2002-03 3,502 831 
			 2003-04 3,598 946 
			 2004-05 4,283 891 
			 2005-06 5,422 850 
			 2006-07 3,393 680 
			 (1) May include some cases where a visitor was in possession of drugs for their own personal use rather than intending to smuggle drugs into prison. (2) Incidents may involve more than one visitor 
		
	
	 (c) Other recorded incidents of people bringing drugs/drug equipment into prison are split between prisoners, people throwing drugs into the prison perimeters and other methods. Table 3 shows the recorded incidents of drugs being detected in each of these categories.
	
		
			  Table 3 
			   Entry method 
			   Prisoners  Thrown in  Others (typically by post) 
			 2002-03 122 319 1,386 
			 2003-04 156 576 1,261 
			 2004-05 156 793 1,605 
			 2005-06 196 820 1,685 
			 2006-07 179 753 1,876 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.
	The data are not subject to audit.

Prisons: Overcrowding

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what policies are in place to reduce overcrowding in prisons.

Jack Straw: On 5 December in their response to Lord Carter of Coles' review of prisons the Government announced an additional 10,500 prison places. This is on top of the existing 9,500 capacity programme. Our aim is to achieve capacity of 96,000 places by 2014.
	We have also established a working group chaired by Lord Justice Gage which will look at Lord Carter's proposal for a Sentencing Commission in England and Wales. Experience from other jurisdictions suggests that such an approach can mean the drivers behind the prison population can be addressed and managed in a transparent, consistent and predictable manner. The Working Group is expected to report to the Lord Chief Justice and to the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor by the summer of 2008.

Tasker Review: Freedom of Information

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 have been submitted to his Department relating to the  (a) Tasker Inquiry and  (b) Stuart investigations; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The National Offender Management Service has received, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, four requests relating to the Tasker Inquiry and three requests relating to the Stuart investigations.

Trade Unions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what meetings he has had with trade unions officials since 1 July 2007; on what dates; and with which trades unions.

Jack Straw: Since I became the Secretary of State for Justice in late June 2007, I have met with trade union representatives on nine occasions regarding departmental business.
	These have been with representatives from the Prison Officers Association, the Prison Governors Association, the Prison Service Joint Industrial Council, the Transport and General Workers' Union, Amicus, GMB, Unison and the Trade Union Congress.
	If the hon. Member wishes to know about my time as Leader of the Commons he should let me know, please.

Young Offenders: Body Searches

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on how many occasions each young offender institution has videoed the  (a) strip searching and  (b) restraint of children.

David Hanson: The Prison Service is unable to respond to this question within the stipulated time-frame as these statistics are not collated centrally. In order to gain accurate figures, it will be necessary to consult with those young offender institutions which hold 15 to 17-year-old prisoners. This work is now under way and I will write when completed.

Young Offenders: North East Region

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many children under 16 who had previously been convicted of drug-related offences in  (a) the North East,  (b) Teesside and  (c) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency were prosecuted for drug dealing in each of the last 10 years.

David Hanson: The information is not available. The published statistics on the criminal histories of offenders do not include figures at the requested level of detail.
	The most recent available figures for the criminal history of offenders, which include details for juvenile offenders (Table 6.5) and for offenders convicted of drug offences (Table 6.3), are given in "Sentencing Statistics 2005" which is available in the House of Commons Library and can be found online at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb0307.pdf

Young Offenders: Teesside

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what facilities in Teesside are available to young people who have been convicted of drug offences to help prevent them from re-offending; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Youth offending teams (YOTs) currently screen and assess all young offenders, including those convicted of drug offences, on their needs in relation to substance misuse and ensure they access the substance misuse services they need.
	For 2006-07 Teesside YOTs carried out 1155 screenings of those convicted of drug offences, with 230 assessments and referred over 200 young offenders to substance misuse interventions. In this area the Local Children and Young Peoples Partnerships are required to provide a range of substance misuse treatment services including psychosocial interventions, work with the families and pharmacological interventions.
	Eligible young offenders in Teesside can also access Resettlement and Aftercare Provision (RAP) attached to YOTs which engages young people with substance misuse problems. The core RAP provision provides up to 25 hours of planned support and activities each week including ongoing access to substance misuse and mental health treatment, support to access accommodation, education, training and employment as well as peer and family support work.

HEALTH

Ambulance Services: South Lakeland

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ambulances have broken down or required repair while on service in South Lakeland in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not held centrally. The Department has not issued guidance on the operational life of ambulances, as it is a local issue for each trust based on the supplier they decide on.

Barnet Hospital: Psychiatry

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on the new building for psychiatric services provision at Barnet hospital; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The provision of psychiatric services in Barnet is a matter for the local national health service.
	However, we have been informed that the Barnet psychiatric unit is projected to be completed in February 2008, with services being provided from the site by April 2008.

Breast Cancer

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the patient experience survey for breast cancer will seek information on the experience of patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Ann Keen: The patient experience survey will cover patients with all cancers, including metastatic breast cancer. An expert group will be set up in the first half of 2008 to design the technical specifications of the National Health Service Cancer Patient Experience Survey programme and a national contract will then be let for the collection, management and analysis of cancer patient experience surveys in 2008-09 with first results expected in 2009-10.

Breast Cancer

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department plans to take to improve the care and experience of patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Ann Keen: The Cancer Reform Strategy sets out a series of actions to improve the care and experience of all cancer patients, including those with secondary breast cancer.
	Whether patients are living with or beyond cancer, high quality information and support will be available, tailored to the patient's personal needs. Action will be taken to inform and empower patients so that they can play as active a role in decisions about their treatment as they wish. Priority will be given to ensuring there is adequate provision of clinical nurse specialists, and effective systems will be in place so that care is seamless from a patient's perspective. There should be adequate provision of psychological support for patients, their families and carers, and a new national cancer survivorship initiative will be established to improve the ongoing support available to people who have been treated for a cancer. This initiative will include patients who are living with progressive disease and may be receiving treatment but are not in the terminal phase of illness.
	In addition, to improve the care and experience of all cancer patients, we need to collect good quality information on cancer services and outcomes, which can be analysed and published in such a way that is useful to patients, commissioners, service providers and other interested parties. To co-ordinate this, a national cancer intelligence network (NCIN) will be developed, building, maintaining and quality assuring a new national repository of cancer data. One of the early products expected from the NCIN will be an evaluation of services for secondary cancer patients in specific tumour areas, including breast cancer.

Cardiovascular System: Health Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to ensure that national guidance on cardiovascular disease risk assessment and management, with particular reference to the Joint British Societies guidelines (JBS2) on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice, is implemented at a primary care level.

Ann Keen: The Joint British Societies Guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice have not been adopted by the Department of Health as national policy. This was made clear in a letter from Professor Roger Boyle, the National Clinical Director for Heart Disease and Stroke sent to the national health service in November 2006. A copy of this letter has been placed in the Library.

Cardiovascular System: Screening

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what progress has been made by the Department of Health Vascular Programme Board in reviewing recommendations from the National Screening Committee on vascular risk assessment; and when the results of the review will be published;
	(2)  whether modelling of the economic consequences of different approaches to risk factor assessment and management has been undertaken and the options and the implications for NHS implementation considered as recommended by Sir Muir Gray and the National Screening Committee;
	(3)  what progress has been made in the Department's consideration of a more integrated approach to vascular risk assessment and management since the publication of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's draft guidance on lipid modification.

Ann Keen: As announced by the Prime Minister in his speech about the national health service on 7 January, the Department will in the next few months bring forward proposals for a screening programme in the NHS to assess people for risk of vascular disease, including heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and diabetes. This is a complex area, which requires a critical and systematic review of the evidence for a vascular risk assessment. The impetus for this work came in part from the National Screening Committee's (NSC) recommendations, as well as from the chief medical officer's department in the Department of Health. When the current phase of analysis and modelling yields its results, we intend to use it as part of our consultation with stakeholders on the development of these proposals. The work of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on lipid modification is of considerable relevance to our plans for a wider programme of vascular risk assessment and we expect the two to be wholly complementary.

Cervical Cancer: Screening

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the process of liquid based cytology has now been implemented by all 142 laboratories that process cervical screening.

Ann Keen: As of November 2007, 88 per cent. of laboratories that process cervical screening samples in England had converted to liquid based cytology (LBC).
	All primary care trusts have indicated that they will have introduced LBC by October 2008, in line with National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence and departmental guidance.
	The number of inadequate tests has fallen from 9 per cent. in 2004-05 to 4.7 per cent. in 2006-07 as a direct result of the continued roll-out of LBC.

Clostridium

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of organic probiotics in tablet form in reducing the risk of developing  Clostridium difficile.

Ann Keen: There is currently insufficient clinical evidence to support the use of probiotics in any form for the prevention of  Clostridium difficile infection.

Community Care: MRSA

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has commissioned or funded on home-based care for patients with  (a) MRSA and  (b) clostridium difficile.

Ann Keen: The Department of Health has not commissioned or supported any research on home based care for patient with methicillin resistant "Staphylococcus aureus" (MRSA) or "Clostridium difficile" to date.
	However, we know that some national health service organisations are investigating the options for more home based care in relation to patients with MRSA.

Confectionery

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what legislation governs the sale of confectionery that contains alcohol.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I have been asked to reply.
	In addition to the legislation covering the sale of goods and foodstuffs generally, there is also specific legislation under article 14 of Regulation (EC) 178/2002 which requires that the confectionery should not be unsafe, i.e. injurious to health or unfit for human consumption.
	Furthermore, section 191 of the Licensing Act 2003 defines 'alcohol' for licensing purposes and includes a provision setting the maximum concentration of alcohol that may be sold in liqueur confectionery without an authorisation under the Act. This definition also applies in relation to offences of selling alcohol to minors (section 147), the consumption of alcohol by minors (section 150), delivering alcohol to minors (section 151), sending a child to obtain alcohol (section 152) and unsupervised alcohol sales by children (section 153). Additionally, section 148 of the 2003 Act creates offences of selling or supplying liqueur confectionery to children under 16.

Crimes of Violence: Mental Health Services

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will undertake research on whether there is a relationship between numbers of violent attacks on patients and staff in mental health wards and numbers of available beds on mental health wards.

Ivan Lewis: The Department is not aware of evidence to suggest such a relationship and is not convinced that commissioning such research would be an effective use of resources.

Dental Services: Leicester

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase the number of NHS dentists in Leicester.

Ann Keen: The dental reforms implemented in 2006 gave PCTs, for the first time, the responsibility for providing or commissioning dental services in their area. It is for PCTs to assess local needs, review current service provision and develop services to meet local needs. This information can therefore be obtained directly through the Leicester City Primary Care Trust.
	Numbers of national health service dentists at primary care trust (PCT) and strategic health authority (SHA) level as at 31 March 1997 to 2006 are available in Annex E of the NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report, England: 31 March 2006.
	This information is based on the old contractual arrangements. This report, published on 23 August 2006, is available in the Library and is available also at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/dentistry/nhs-dental-activity-and-workforce-report-england-31-march-2006
	The numbers of NHS dentists at PCT and SHA level as at 30 June, 30 September, 31 December 2006 and 31 March 2007 are available in Table E1 of Annex 3 of the NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2006-07 report. This information is based on the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006.
	This report, published on 23 August 2007, is available in the Library and is also available at:
	http://www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dental0607
	The inclusion of dentists on trust led contracts in the data collection following the 2006 reforms means that data collected since April 2006 cannot be directly compared with data collected under the previous system.
	The methodology and frequency for reporting work force information are currently being reviewed. The purpose of the review is to ensure that, following experience of the first year of the new dental contract, figures provide an appropriate measure of the work force, given the way that the work force reporting system is being used by PCTs. An update on the review will be provided in the quarter 2 publication, due to be published in February 2008.
	Both reports have been published by the Information Centre for health and social care.

Departmental Christmas Cards

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on  (a) Christmas cards and  (b) postage of Christmas cards in 2007.

Ben Bradshaw: The amount the Department spent on purchasing Christmas cards for 2007 (inclusive of VAT) was 4,478.27.
	All expenditure incurred in the purchase and postage of official Christmas cards is made in accordance with the Department's guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in government accounting.
	Separate figures for postage costs are not available, as some cards would have been included with other correspondence or would have been hand-delivered. The vast majority of those that were not included with correspondence were sent using second-class post.

Departmental Contracts

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) objective and  (b) value was of each contract placed with (i) Deloitte  Touche, (ii) Ernst  Young, (iii) KPMG, (iv) PricewaterhouseCoopers and (v) PA Consulting by his Department and its agencies in each year since 2004-05.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not collect information on consultants in the format requested. To do so would attract disproportionate cost.
	A new system will be introduced in April 2008 called SHOWA, which will be able to gather such information for the Department.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 4 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1118W, on departmental public expenditure, how much  (a) near cash,  (b) non cash and  (c) capital expenditure was moved from each year; and to which year it was moved in the reprofiling of the Department's budgets.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 3 September 2007,  Official Report, column 1867W to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban).

Departmental Public Expenditure

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to paragraph 6.2 of his Department's resource accounts for 2006-07, for what reason the setting up of individual budget pilots was delayed, and by how long.

Ben Bradshaw: The individual budgets underspend reported in the Department's resource accounts was not due to any delay in setting up the pilots as mistakenly stated. Unspent funds in 2006-07 were carried forward for use to 2007-08.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to paragraph 12, page 33 of his Department's resource accounts for 2006-07, which risks were  (a) added to and  (b) removed from his Department's high-level risk register in 2006-07.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department of Health Departmental Report 2007 contains examples of key risk areas included on the Department's risk register during 2006-07. A copy of the report is available in the Library.
	The Department's risk register is a live document which is continuously updated and informs advice to Ministers from senior officials in the Department, and discussions between the Department and top management in the national health service and social care about key issues in policy, resourcing and service management and development. The risk register is not a public document.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to paragraph 10, page 60 of his Department's resource accounts for 2006-07, if he will break down the other non-cash items charged to operating expenditure.

Ben Bradshaw: Other non-cash expenditure of 5,548,000 credited to operating expenditure can be analysed as follows;
	credit of 5,750,000 in respect of an investment in Partnerships for Health previously charged to operating expenditure in 2005-06;
	credit of 37,000 in respect of additional staff loans being brought onto the Department's balance sheet; and
	charge of 238,000 in respect of consolidated fund extra receipts receivable incorrectly included in the 2005-06 accounts and amended in 2006-07.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to paragraph 10, page 60 of his Department's resource accounts for 2006-07, what stock items his Department was required to write-off; what bad debt expenses occurred; and what the value of each item was in each category.

Ben Bradshaw: The stock write-off and bad debt expenses of 3,728,000 can be analysed as follows;
	2,096,000 stock write off is in respect of childhood vaccines that had date expired or were damaged and unusable.
	1,515,000 write-off of development costs for seven national decontamination of surgical instruments schemes
	99 minor claims totalling 117,000 have been abandoned on value for money grounds.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the publication of the NHS in England's Operating Framework for 2008-09, how much of the addition to his Department's baseline expenditure in 2008-09, set out on page 207 of the 2007 Pre-Budget Report and Comprehensive Spending Review, has not been allocated to primary care trusts, broken down into resource and capital resources.

Ben Bradshaw: The following table shows the current disposition of additional funds for 2008-09.
	
		
			  Increases in national health service funding in 2008-09 
			   billion 
			   Total  Allocated to primary care trusts (PCTs) 
			 Total funding growth 6.2  
			 Capital(1) 0.4 0 
			 Revenue(2) 5.8 3.8 
			 (1) We do not allocate capital to PCTs (2) Additional elements of revenue will be allocated to NHS bodies but budgets and allocation mechanisms are not yet finalised

Departmental Recycling

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much and what proportion of its waste his Department recycled in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: On 12 June 2006, the Prime Minister and my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Fisheries (David Miliband) announced revised sustainable operations targets for the Government estate. They focus on key areas such as carbon neutrality and emissions, energy efficiency, waste and water consumption.
	The 2006 estate targets include:
	 Recycling:
	Departments to increase their recycling figures to 40 per cent. of their waste arisings by 2010 and to 75 per cent. of their waste by 2020.
	These targets will apply for the reporting period April 2006 to March 2007 onwards.
	Previous Government targets that applied to the Government estate were launched in March 2004 but have since been superseded by the new targets.
	The Department has consistently exceeded the targets. Our performance over the past five years is as follows:
	
		
			   Waste arisings (tonnes)  Proportion recycled (percentage) 
			 2001-02 n/a n/a 
			 2002-03 908.69 78 
			 2003-04 918.95 65 
			 2004-05 1,152.76 68 
			 2005-06 635.48 85 
		
	
	All figures exclude information technology (some is refurbished and resold; the rest is dismantled and disposed of in accordance with legislation)
	Figures are not directly comparable from one year to another. Staff have moved from buildings where waste collected by departmental contractors to buildings managed by other Government Department (who include our staff in their returns). In addition, in some buildings waste streams have been added to what was previously collected under the departmental contract.
	Figures for earlier years are less reliable than more recent figures.
	Figures include the main departmental London estate, and departmental agencies.
	The 2006 report is available at: www.sd-commission. org.uk/sdig2006/ and the 6th annual report is due to be published in spring 2008.

Departmental Standards

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to paragraph 11, page 33 of his Department's resource accounts for 2006-07, to what extent each of his Department's five assurance standards were met in 2006-07, broken down by directorate.

Ben Bradshaw: The Statement of Internal Control sets out how the Department has met the assurance standards and the control issues identified.

Departmental Standards

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to paragraph 33, page 36 of his Department's resource accounts for 2006-07, what the 199 significant control issues were, broken down by reporting trust.

Ben Bradshaw: The 199 significant control issues reported by national health service trusts and primary care trusts in their Statements of Internal Control for 2006-07, and referred to in the Department's resource accounts for 2006-07, a copy of their statements has been placed in the Library.

Family Practitioner Services: Barnet

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in arrangements for GPs in Barnet to make direct referrals for diagnostic services; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not collected centrally.
	It is for local health communities to work together to decide the best setting to deliver diagnostic services for their patients. However, direct access to diagnostics from primary care can help with delivery of the 18 weeks target by improving the quality of referrals to secondary care by reducing the number of unnecessary referrals to secondary care outpatient clinics, and removing unnecessary steps from the patient pathway. A number of initiatives are underway to support direct access diagnostics.
	The payment by results for 2008-09 contains a number of indicative tariffs to support unbundling of services, for example for imaging scans. Unbundling diagnostics provides incentives for primary care trusts to commission diagnostics via direct access prior to referral.
	The 18 weeks team have been working with clinical colleagues to develop commissioning pathways to support commissioners in challenging existing practice and transform services. The pathways, developed in conjunction with clinical colleagues, are based on best practice and include direct access diagnostics where this is appropriate.

Fractures

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the clinical efficacy of fracture liaison services to ensure patient concordance with medicines regimens which help prevent secondary fracture.

Ann Keen: We have made no assessment of the clinical efficacy of fracture liaison services.

Gastrointestinal System: Health Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients with each type of gastroenterological condition were seen by a consultant within 18 weeks of referral in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: Referral to treatment data are not collected at a procedure level. The following table shows October 2007 referral to treatment data for the treatment function gastroenterology.
	
		
			  Referral to treatment data October 2007 
			  C ompleted within 18 weeks 
			  Treatment function  Pathway type  Total number of completed pathways in October  Total (with known referral date)  Number of pathways  Percentage of pathways 
			 Gastroenterology Admitted 10,881 7,905 6,699 85 
			  Non-admitted 16,816 15,581 11,206 72 
			  Notes: 1. Admitted patients those admitted to hospital for definitive treatment, usually an operation. 2. Non-admitted patients those treated or otherwise without requiring admission e.g. those treated as out-patients.

Health Services: Overseas Visitors

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish his review of the rules governing access to the NHS by foreign nationals.

Dawn Primarolo: On 7 March 2007 the Home Office published Enforcing the rules: A Strategy to ensure and enforce compliance with our immigration laws. The DH is working with the Home Office on this review.
	When the review is completed, the Home Office will be holding a public consultation in spring 2008.

Health Services: Screening

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which organisations were consulted on screening for  (a) heart disease, (b) kidney disease,  (c) stroke and  (d) diabetes prior to the Prime Minister's announcement of a new screening programme for these conditions on 8 January 2008.

Ann Keen: When proposals for a vascular screening programme have been developed further the Department intends to consult with various stakeholders including the National Screening Committee, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and a number of interested groups such as leading voluntary groups.

Health Services: Screening

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of  (a) the number of additional medical personnel,  (b) the quantity of additional scanning equipment and  (c) the increased analysis laboratory capacity required to deliver his Department's screening programme for (i) heart disease, (ii) kidney disease, (iii) stroke and (iv) diabetes.

Ann Keen: These assessments form part of the modelling work on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a systematic, population-wide vascular risk assessment and management programme that is currently being carried out by the Department's analysts.

Health Services: Screening

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost of an individual screening for  (a) heart disease,  (b) kidney disease,  (c) stroke and  (d) diabetes.

Ann Keen: There is a departmental project currently under way to assess costs and benefits of an integrated, systematic population-wide vascular risk screening programme.

Health Services: Screening

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department plans to spend in each financial year until 2010-11 on advertising and education campaigns to encourage people to take up the offer of screening for  (a) heart disease,  (b) kidney disease,  (c) stroke and  (d) diabetes.

Ann Keen: The exact nature of a vascular risk assessment and management programme is still the subject of developmental work. It would be premature at this stage to set out specific spending figures on advertising and education campaigns.

Health Services: Screening

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the likely take-up of  (a) universal and  (b) targeted screening programme for (i) heart disease, (ii) kidney disease, (iii) stroke and (iv) diabetes.

Ann Keen: Take-up rates for a new service are, by their nature, unpredictable and will depend on the details of what is offered to whom, which will be worked out in part in discussions with stakeholders. However, a range of assumptions about likely take-up levels of a vascular risk assessment programme will be modelled into the analytical work being undertaken by the Department. Assumptions about likely take-up will also form part of the discussions we will have with stakeholders about the development of the practical aspects of the programme.

HealthSpace

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have registered with HealthSpace in each year since it was established.

Ben Bradshaw: Information is not held in the form requested. As at 10 January 2008, there were some 26,300 HealthSpace accounts.

Hospital Treatment Target

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what progress is being made towards the 18 week hospital treatment target in Hendon;
	(2)  what progress has been made in meeting the 18 week hospital treatment target for patients in the Barnet primary care trust area; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is not held centrally. However, referral to treatment (RTT) times for admitted pathways (RTT times for patients whose 18 week clock stopped during the month with an inpatient/day case admission), and for non-admitted pathways (RTT times for patients whose 18 week clock stopped during the month for reasons other than an inpatient/day case admission) in the Barnet primary care trust area from January 2007 to October 2007 can be found in the following table.
	By December 2008, no one should have to wait more than 18 weeks from the time they are referred by their general practitioner (GP) to the start of their treatment unless it is clinically appropriate to do so or they choose to wait.
	The national health service began measuring waits for GP referral to start of consultant led treatment from January 2007. This allows the Department and the NHS to monitor and track progress towards the maximum 18 week wait.
	RTT data published on 10 January 2008 show that in October 2007, 60 per cent. of admitted patients waited no more than 18 weeks for their treatment following the initial referral by their GPan improvement on snapshot figures released in December 2006, which showed that 35 per cent. of patients received treatment within 18 weeks. The figure for non-admitted patients for October was 77 per cent.
	
		
			  Referral to treatment data for Barnet PCT 
			   January 2007  February 2007  March 2007  April 2007  May 2007  June 2007  July 2007  August 2007  September 2007  October 2007 
			  Admitted pathways  
			 Percentage of pathways completed within 18 weeks 35 34 35 35 43 36 36 38 42 54 
			 Data completeness   48 51 47 41 36 75 527 70 
			
			  Non-admitted pathways  
			 Percentage of pathways completed within 18 weeks 60 88 69 68 68 68 66 65 66 62 
			 Data completeness69 57 52 
			  Source:  Monthly Referral To Treatment Data Collection.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the cost to the NHS of collecting figures for  (a) inpatient and  (b) outpatient waiting times in 2007-08.

Ben Bradshaw: There are no figures available on the monetary cost of collecting figures on waiting times. However, the review of central returns process estimates the burden in terms of person years. The current estimated burden for providing monthly and quarterly inpatient and outpatient waiting times figures is 10.8 person years in total, 6.6 years for outpatients and 4.2 years for inpatients.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Drugs

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the drug budget for the treatment of inflammatory bowel conditions is in  (a) England and  (b) each strategic health authority area in 2007-08.

Ann Keen: Primary care and national health service trust drugs budgets are not determined centrally and therefore there are no drugs budgets for the treatment of inflammatory bowel conditions centrally. Trusts are responsible for setting their own budgets, decisions on the level of funding will depend on local priorities.

Learning Disability: Health Services

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to improve inpatient health care services for people with learning difficulties, with particular reference to Wirral West constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Department recognises that people with learning disabilities or mental health problems have faced significant physical health inequalities. Promoting Equality, published in March 2007, set out the Department's action plan to tackle the inequalities experienced by people with learning disabilities in accessing primary care.
	Since its publication the Department has:
	developed and published a framework to support primary care trusts (PCTs) in commissioning primary care services for people with learning disabilities, including annual health checks;
	developed a preferred framework for health checks, which the valuing people support team will be promoting at regional events this autumn; and
	published guidance on the commissioning of specialist learning disability health services.
	The Department has worked with the Disability Rights Commission to take forward the actions outlined in Promoting Equality and will continue to work with the new Commission for Equalities and Human Rights.
	Guidance on the commissioning of specialist learning disability health services was published in October 2007 by the Department. To support the dissemination of the guidance and address the issues raised by the Healthcare Commission audit, the valuing people support team within the Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP), in conjunction with the Healthcare Commission, have planned three events across the country.
	The events will be held in February and March and are aimed primarily at commissioners and providers. The events will cover the roll-out of the guidance and how it can be used to help respond to the issues raised by the audit. The events are intended to provide commissioners and providers with the necessary information to address any concerns in their locality.
	The North West strategic health authority reports that Wirral PCT has recently published a five-year strategy identifying services for people with learning disabilities as a priority. An additional 0.5 million will be invested over the period of the strategy. Since 1999, the Wirral PCT and the Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust have invested in the refurbishment and new build of two assessment and treatment units, with one further new unit scheduled to be completed in November 2009.
	A number of initiatives are under way; for example, close working between inpatient units and specialist community services and primary care services to ensure a seamless service for people with learning disabilities.
	Local services are benchmarked against the Healthcare Commission recommendations following inquiries into services at the Cornwall Partnership NHS trust and Sutton and Merton PCT. An action plan is being implemented to ensure high quality services for people with learning disabilities.

Medical Treatments: Waiting Lists

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government has taken to reduce referral to treatment waiting times since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer17 January 2008
	 This Government have taken a variety of steps to reduce referral to treatment (RTT) times, underpinned by record levels of investment and delivered through the hard work of national health service staff. Initially focused on reducing waits for individual stages of treatment, these include:
	delivering a pledge to reduce the waiting list by 100,000. The waiting list is now at its lowest level since records began;
	reducing the number of patients waiting over 13 weeks for a first out-patient appointment following general practitioner referral from over 338,000 in 1997 to less than 100 at the end of November 2007;
	reducing over six month in-patient waits from over 283,000 in 1997 to 77 at the end of November 2007; and
	introducing a diagnostic waiting time data collection, which has seen a reduction in the average waiting time from 6.8 weeks in April 2006 to 2.9 weeks at the end of November 2007.
	These improvements have laid a solid base on which to reduce RTT times for all consultant-led elective care to a maximum of 18 weeks by December 2008. Latest data show that this pledge is already being delivered to over half of all admitted patients (patients who require admission to hospital for treatment) and over three quarters of non-admitted patients.

Mental Health Services: Greater London

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust's plans for foundation trust status.

Ben Bradshaw: Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health National Health Service Trust's public consultation for NHS foundation trust (NHSFT) status is due to be completed on 16 January 2008. We are informed that the trust will then discuss the timescale for continuing their application for NHSFT status with NHS London.

Midwives: Manpower

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of the fertility rate projections published by the Office for National Statistics on 23 October 2007 on  (a) future workforce requirements for midwifery and  (b) the number of places provided for student midwives in the future.

Ann Keen: Local national health service organisations are responsible for the development of maternity services, ensuring that they meet the future needs of their local population and that there are sufficient staff, with the right skills.
	The 2007-08 Operating Framework requires all NHS organisations to undertake a review of their maternity services, which included primary care trusts (PCTs) assessing the work force capacity required to deliver 'Maternity Matters'. We have built on this requirement within the Operating Framework 2008-09, which states
	that PCTs should aim to ensure that sufficient numbers of maternity staff and neo-natal teams are in place to meet local needs.
	Local plans will need to consider a range of issues, including the projected number of births in their area to determine the work force capacity required to support the increased number of births and the implementation of 'Maternity Matters'.

NHS: Administration

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government has taken to improve record-keeping systems in the NHS since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 17 January 2008
	 The national health service information governance toolkit, established in 2003, is a web-based resource developed by the Department, which enables NHS organisations to measure their compliance with a range of information governance requirements and best practice, including standards in records management. In this respect it is underpinned by the Department's best practice guidanceRecords Management: NHS Code of Practice, published in April 2006, and supports the Healthcare Commission's NHS Standards for Better Health, many of which require quality and integrity of record-keeping systems.
	Those bodies responsible for external monitoring of NHS performance, for example strategic health authorities and the Healthcare Commission, play a key role in ensuring that effective systems are in place to ensure conformity with the relevant requirements and standards.

NHS: Debts

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to write off the debt of trusts in the financially challenged trust regime.

Ben Bradshaw: There are no plans to write off the debts of the organisations within the financially challenged trust regime.

NHS: Manpower

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what dates, in each of the last five years, the NHS hospital and community health services non-medical workforce census was published; and on what date this year's publication is expected to be published.

Ann Keen: The national health service hospital and community health services non-medical work force census results are scheduled for publication in March. The publication date will be confirmed in February.
	The 2006 census results were published on 26 April 2007, 2005 results on 24 April 2006, 2004 results on 22 March 2005, 2003 results on 19 March 2004 and 2002 results on 24 June 2003.

Obesity

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff in his Department worked on the prevention and management of obesity in each of the last five financial years for which figures are available, broken down by payband.

Dawn Primarolo: Obesity is a complex, multi-factoral problem. Given the complexity and scale of the problem and the requirement for comprehensive action, the Department's obesity, nutrition and physical activity teams have worked jointly with a large number of different partners, including Government at central and local level and external stakeholders such as the commercial and voluntary sectors, on the prevention and management of obesity.

Obesity: North West Region

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies his Department has commissioned into child obesity levels in the North West and their implications for the future health of people in the region.

Dawn Primarolo: The prevalence of childhood obesity is measured in the North West through the National Child Measurement Programme. This is a national programme through which the height and weight of children in reception (four and five-year-olds) and year 6 (10 and 11-year-olds) throughout the country are measured. This data is used to inform local planning and commissioning of services for children as well as providing population-level surveillance data to allow analysis of trends in growth patterns and obesity.
	Assessment of the potential health impact will be made through a range of national studies. In particular, the Department has established the National Child Measurement Programme (which will report North West figures in 2008) as well as the Health Survey for England to measure obesity levels throughout England.
	The North West strategic health authority reports that there are a number of actions being taken forward locally to help reduce overweight and obesity in the North West. This includes the development of two e-learning modules to provide flexible learning for front-line primary care staff in the region to enable them to support patients to reduce their levels of weight and obesity. The aim of these are to ensure that important messages about diet, physical activity and behavioural changes are consistent, high quality and that interventions are based in primary care settings across the North West.

Osteoporosis

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to improve the  (a) level,  (b) quality and  (c) accessibility of information and support offered to people with osteoporosis in the last 12 months.

Ann Keen: holding answer 17 January 2008
	We have taken no specific steps in the last 12 months to improve the level, quality or accessibility to information and support offered to those living with osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis: Stockport

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the  (a) level,  (b) quality and  (c) accessibility of information and support offered to people with osteoporosis in (i) the Stockport Primary Care Trust area and (ii) England;
	(2)  what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of provision of treatment for osteoporosis in  (a) the Stockport Primary Care Trust area and  (b) England.

Ann Keen: holding answer 17 January 2008
	We have made no assessment of the level, quality and accessibility of information and support, or the effectiveness of the provision of treatment, for those people living with osteoporosis in the Stockport primary care trust area, or in England.

Oxygen: Medical Equipment

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS patients are dependent upon oxygen cylinders; and how many were so dependent in each of the last three years.

Ann Keen: holding answer 17 January 2008
	 Prior to the introduction of the new home oxygen service on 1 February 2006, patients received their oxygen through pharmacies and oxygen concentrator suppliers. Patient data prior to the introduction of the new service in 2006 are not held centrally.
	The full transition to the new service was completed in November 2006. During transition the pharmacies continued to supply patients, therefore records from this period do not accurately reflect patient numbers. The first accurate patient data are available from January 2007 onwards. These data reflect the total number of patients receiving oxygen at home.
	
		
			   January 2007  January 2008 
			 Total number of patients in England 74,000 82,000 
			 Total number of patients in Wales 7,000 7,000

Oxygen: Medical Equipment

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which companies supply oxygen cylinders and oxygen to the NHS; and what minimum standards of service are required of them.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 17 January 2008
	 The current suppliers to the Home Oxygen Service are Air Products, Air Liquide and BOC. Air Liquide acquired Linde UK Gas on 31 May 2007, and Allied Respiratory on 30 September 2007, who were previous additional oxygen suppliers.
	With the introduction of the new Home Oxygen Service on 1 February 2006, the service contract requires the suppliers to meet specific response times for each oxygen service provided under the contract.
	These are:
	emergency or urgent supply of oxygen to be delivered within four hours of receipt of an order from a healthcare professional;
	an order supporting the discharge of a patient from hospital to be delivered on the day following receipt of the order or on a date specified by the healthcare professional in the order; and
	an order for short burst oxygen therapy, long-term oxygen therapy, or an ambulatory oxygen service to be provided within three working days of receipt of an order either from a healthcare professional or from the patient directly.
	Each supplier must meet these service requirements under the terms of the contract and delivery times are a key indicator used in monitoring supplier performance.

Patient Choice Schemes: Barnet

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of Barnet patients' appointments were made through the choose and book system in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08 to date; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The number and percentage of Barnet primary care trust's general practitioner (GP) referrals to first out-patient appointments booked through the choose and book system was 13,634 (20 per cent.) in 2006-07 and 14,364 (25 per cent.) in the first nine months of 2007-08 (April to the end of December). This compares with national averages of 27 per cent. in 2006-07 and 39 per cent. in 2007-08 to date.

Patients: Television

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the average charge made to hospital patients to access personal television facilities; and what steps hospitals are taking to ensure that use of such facilities does not have an adverse effect on other patients.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has not estimated the average charge to patients to access personal television services in hospitals.
	The service providers set their own charges. The Department is not party to the contracts which exist between the service providers and the individual national health service trusts. If patients do not wish to or are unable to afford the cost of the bedside television, they can still watch the free to view television in the hospital day room or communal areas.
	It is a matter for each individual trust and the service providers to ensure that the bedside systems are operated with minimum disruption to other patients. Each bedside system is equipped with personal headphones to ensure that noise from the television is kept to a minimum and the screens can be turned off when not in use.

Primary Care Trusts and NHS Reconfigurations

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether he has asked primary care trusts to inform him of consultations and formal reviews which they hold into the future provision of services;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library reconfiguration returns from the NHS from the last 12 months.

Ann Keen: Proposals for the reconfiguration of services are a matter for the national health service locally, working in conjunction with clinicians, patients and other stakeholders.
	Primary care trusts do not inform the Secretary of State of the outcomes of consultations and formal reviews which they have held into the future provision of services. Consequently, no returns relating to local consultations have been placed in the Library.

Psychological Therapist: Training

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the average time taken to train a psychological therapist in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the average cost was of such training.

Ivan Lewis: The information is not available centrally in the format requested. Psychological therapy encompasses a number of different disciplines and the associated training varies in time and cost.

Sheep Meat: Safety

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many successful prosecutions there have been in the UK over the last 10 years for the preparation, marketing or selling of prepared sheep meat known as smokies; and what sentences or penalty was imposed in each case.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on this type of enforcement action undertaken by local authorities is not held centrally.

Smoking: Health Services

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what each primary care trust's budget for smoking cessation services was in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The following table shows primary care trust (PCT) stop smoking services allocations from the Department's central budget programme which were included alongside their general revenue allocations for the last five years between 2003-04 and 2007-08.
	The 'Choosing Health' White Paper funding separately identified in 2006-07 and 2007-08 PCT revenue allocations to support implementation of various public health initiatives included an additional 5 million each year for PCT stop smoking services. PCTs were informed of their shares of the total White Paper funding rather than their allocations for each initiative.
	
		
			  PCT allocations for stop smoking services between 2003-04 and 2007-08 
			  000 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 270 303 336 336 336 
			 Barking and Dagenham PCT 163 183 203 203 203 
			 Barnet PCT 254 285 316 316 316 
			 Barnsley PCT 215 242 268 268 268 
			 Bassetlaw PCT 88 98 109 109 109 
			 Bath and North East Somerset PCT 128 143 159 159 159 
			 Bedfordshire PCT 284 319 354 354 354 
			 Berkshire East PCT 273 306 340 340 340 
			 Berkshire West PCT 309 347 385 385 385 
			 Bexley Care Trust 163 183 203 203 203 
			 Birmingham East and North PCT 362 406 450 450 450 
			 Blackburn with Darwen PCT 142 159 176 176 176 
			 Blackpool PCT 143 160 178 178 178 
			 Bolton PCT 238 267 296 296 296 
			 Bournemouth and Poole Teaching PCT 269 302 335 335 335 
			 Bradford And Airedale Teaching PCT 420 471 523 523 523 
			 Brent Teaching PCT 269 301 334 334 334 
			 Brighton and Hove City PCT 224 252 279 279 279 
			 Bristol PCT 333 373 414 414 414 
			 Bromley PCT 228 256 284 284 284 
			 Buckinghamshire PCT 336 378 419 419 419 
			 Bury PCT 149 168 186 186 186 
			 Calderdale PCT 160 180 199 199 199 
			 Cambridgeshire PCT 380 427 473 473 473 
			 Camden PCT 219 246 273 273 273 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 322 361 400 400 400 
			 Central Lancashire PCT 354 397 440 440 440 
			 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 255 286 317 317 317 
			 Cornwall and Isles Of Scilly PCT 409 459 509 509 509 
			 County Durham PCT 469 526 583 583 583 
			 Coventry Teaching PCT 280 314 348 348 348 
			 Croydon PCT 269 302 335 335 335 
			 Cumbria Teaching PCT 403 452 501 501 501 
			 Darlington PCT 82 92 102 102 102 
			 Derby City PCT 211 237 263 263 263 
			 Derbyshire County PCT 547 614 681 681 681 
			 Devon PCT 545 611 678 678 678 
			 Doncaster PCT 267 300 332 332 332 
			 Dorset PCT 297 333 369 369 369 
			 Dudley PCT 248 278 309 309 309 
			 Ealing PCT 277 311 345 345 345 
			 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 392 440 488 488 488 
			 East Lancashire Teaching PCT 343 385 427 427 427 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire PCT 214 240 266 266 266 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 261 293 325 325 325 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT 590 662 733 733 733 
			 Enfield PCT 223 251 278 278 278 
			 Gateshead PCT 189 212 235 235 235 
			 Gloucestershire PCT 424 476 528 528 528 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT 189 212 235 235 235 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 205 230 255 255 255 
			 Halton and St Helens PCT 289 324 359 359 359 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 156 175 194 194 194 
			 Hampshire PCT 876 982 1,089 1,089 1,089 
			 Haringey Teaching PCT 226 253 281 281 281 
			 Harrow PCT 154 173 192 192 192 
			 Hartlepool PCT 86 97 107 107 107 
			 Hastings and Rother PCT 159 179 198 198 198 
			 Havering PCT 194 217 241 241 241 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 280 314 349 349 349 
			 Herefordshire PCT 135 151 167 167 167 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT 191 215 238 238 238 
			 Hillingdon PCT 189 212 235 235 235 
			 Hounslow PCT 192 215 238 238 238 
			 Hull Teaching PCT 241 270 299 299 299 
			 Isle of Wight NHS PCT 120 135 149 149 149 
			 Islington PCT 204 229 254 254 254 
			 Kensington and Chelsea PCT 157 176 195 195 195 
			 Kingston PCT 120 134 149 149 149 
			 Kirklees PCT 311 349 387 387 387 
			 Knowsley PCT 172 193 214 214 214 
			 Lambeth PCT 277 311 344 344 344 
			 Leeds PCT 592 664 736 736 736 
			 Leicester City PCT 259 290 322 322 322 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 427 479 531 531 531 
			 Lewisham PCT 239 268 297 297 297 
			 Lincolnshire Teaching PCT 524 588 652 652 652 
			 Liverpool PCT 499 560 621 621 621 
			 Luton PCT 151 169 187 187 187 
			 Manchester PCT 456 511 567 567 567 
			 Medway PCT 198 222 246 246 246 
			 Mid Essex PCT 238 267 296 296 296 
			 Middlesbrough PCT 141 158 176 176 176 
			 Milton Keynes PCT 155 174 193 193 193 
			 Newcastle PCT 242 271 300 300 300 
			 Newham PCT 276 310 343 343 343 
			 Norfolk PCT 540 606 672 672 672 
			 North East Essex PCT 257 288 319 319 319 
			 North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus 136 153 169 169 169 
			 North Lancashire Teaching PCT 268 301 333 333 333 
			 North Lincolnshire PCT 122 137 151 151 151 
			 North Somerset PCT 148 165 183 183 183 
			 North Staffordshire PCT 163 183 203 203 203 
			 North Tees Teaching PCT 148 166 184 184 184 
			 North Tyneside PCT 177 199 221 221 221 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT 546 613 679 679 679 
			 Northamptonshire Teaching PCT 471 529 586 586 586 
			 Northumberland Care Trust 253 284 314 314 314 
			 Nottingham City PCT 255 286 317 317 317 
			 Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT 497 558 618 618 618 
			 Oldham PCT 207 232 258 258 258 
			 Oxfordshire PCT 411 461 511 511 511 
			 Peterborough PCT 122 137 151 151 151 
			 Plymouth Teaching PCT 203 228 252 252 252 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 152 171 189 189 189 
			 Redbridge PCT 181 203 225 231 231 
			 Redcar and Cleveland PCT 121 136 151 151 151 
			 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 125 140 155 155 155 
			 Rotherham PCT 214 240 266 266 266 
			 Salford PCT 224 251 279 279 279 
			 Sandwell PCT 286 321 355 355 355 
			 Sefton PCT 250 280 311 311 311 
			 Sheffield PCT 454 510 565 565 565 
			 Shropshire County PCT 211 236 262 262 262 
			 Solihull Care Trust 150 169 187 187 187 
			 Somerset PCT 387 434 481 481 481 
			 South Birmingham PCT 294 330 366 366 366 
			 South East Essex PCT 261 293 325 325 325 
			 South Gloucestershire PCT 158 177 196 196 196 
			 South Staffordshire PCT 421 472 523 523 523 
			 South Tyneside PCT 150 168 186 186 186 
			 South West Essex PCT 305 342 379 379 379 
			 Southampton City PCT 195 219 243 243 243 
			 Southwark PCT 253 284 315 315 315 
			 Stockport PCT 223 250 278 278 278 
			 Stoke on Trent PCT 239 269 298 298 298 
			 Suffolk PCT 417 468 519 519 519 
			 Sunderland Teaching PCT 266 299 331 331 331 
			 Surrey PCT 738 828 918 918 918 
			 Sutton and Merton PCT 279 313 347 347 347 
			 Swindon PCT 140 157 174 174 174 
			 Tameside and Glossop PCT 202 226 251 251 251 
			 Telford and Wrekin PCT 125 140 155 155 155 
			 Torbay Care Trust 122 137 152 152 152 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT 239 269 298 298 298 
			 Trafford PCT 166 187 207 207 207 
			 Wakefield District PCT 289 324 360 360 360 
			 Walsall Teaching PCT 232 260 288 288 288 
			 Waltham Forest PCT 212 238 264 258 258 
			 Wandsworth PCT 219 246 273 273 273 
			 Warrington PCT 150 168 186 186 186 
			 Warwickshire PCT 371 416 461 461 461 
			 West Essex PCT 195 219 242 242 242 
			 West Hertfordshire PCT 388 436 483 483 483 
			 West Kent PCT 468 525 582 582 582 
			 West Sussex PCT 595 668 741 741 741 
			 Western Cheshire PCT 192 216 239 239 239 
			 Westminster PCT 181 204 226 226 226 
			 Wiltshire PCT 305 343 380 380 380 
			 Wirral PCT 296 332 368 368 368 
			 Wolverhampton City PCT 224 251 278 278 278 
			 Worcestershire PCT 401 450 499 499 499 
			   
			 England 41,000 46,000 51,000 51,000 51,000 
			  Note: These allocations were made to 303 PCTs but are shown for the 152 PCTs which were formed on 1 October 2006.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Academies

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether his Department will publish the 10 Downing Street Delivery Unit report on academies; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to his questions 165167, 165168 and 165169 on 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 624W.

Academies

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  whether he plans to make a statement on the conclusions of the Delivery Unit Report on academies;
	(2)  if he will list the  (a) officials,  (b) special advisers and  (c) Ministers who attended the Academies Seminar on 1 November 2007.

Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to his questions 165167, 165168 and 165169 on 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 624W. No special advisers attended the seminar referred to.

Academies

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will publish the outcome of the review of academies which concluded on 4 January 2008.

Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to his questions 165167, 165168 and 165169 on 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 624W.

Academies: Curriculum

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many academies do not follow national curriculum programmes of study in  (a) English,  (b) mathematics,  (c) science and  (d) ICT; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department does not collect the information requested.

Academies: Finance

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding was contributed to the academy programme by  (a) companies and  (b) other bodies, including non-profit-making organisations, in each year since the inception of the programme.

Jim Knight: Information on sponsors' contributions received to date towards academies' capital costs is given in the following table. In noting the contributions, which are made to academy trusts, the Department does not differentiate between those made by companies and those made by named individuals or other types of organisations, because evidence received from trusts does not identify the sponsor involved and many academies have more than one sponsor.
	There may be some payments that have been made but are not recorded in the table as the relevant trusts have yet to submit evidence to the Department that sponsorship has been paid and used to meet capital costs.
	We have now changed the sponsorship model and sponsors will now, in most cases, establish an endowment fund rather than contributing to capital costs. Detailed monitoring of such contributions will commence at the end of February 2008, in respect of contributions made in the first half of the 2007-08 academic year.
	Academies may also receive other donations apart from sponsorship. The Department does not collect details of these, but they are recorded in academies' published accounts.
	
		
			   Confirmed capital contribution from sponsors (000) 
			 2001-02 1,160 
			 2002-03 2,958 
			 2003-04 4,961 
			 2004-05 12,091 
			 2005-06 12,339 
			 2006-07 15,723 
			 Up to 31 December 2007 14,685 
			 Total 63,917

Academies: Fire Extinguishers

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make it a requirement for academy schools to be fitted with fire sprinkler systems in accordance with the guidance in Building Bulletin 100: Design for Fire Safety in Schools; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: It is our expectation that all academies will now be designed to incorporate sprinklers. This is not a compulsory measure, but to demonstrate that sprinklers are not needed, the academy trust will need to be able to demonstrate that its buildings are low risk and that incorporation of sprinklers would not represent good value for money. For academies in the Building Schools for the Future programme the decision to install sprinklers will be shared between the academy trust and the relevant local authority.

Academies: Fire Extinguishers

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many academy schools have been fitted with fire sprinkler systems in accordance with the guidance in Building Bulletin 100: Design for Fire Safety in Schools.

Jim Knight: This information is not immediately available to the Department. However, we intend to gather the information and once this exercise is complete, I will write to the hon. Member.

Academies: Free School Meals

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families in which academies the proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is  (a) higher and  (b) lower than the corresponding proportion in the local school catchment area; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The annual School Census for January 2007 shows that of the 46 academies then open, 10including four former city technology colleges (CTCs)had a lower proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals than the proportion living in the local authority area:
	St Paul's Academy, Greenwich;
	Burlington Danes Academy, Hammersmith and Fulham;
	Habedashers' Aske's Hatcham Academy (former CTC);
	Sandwell Academy, Sandwell;
	Walsall Academy, Walsall;
	Salford City Academy, Salford;
	Dixons City Academy (former CTC), Bradford;
	The Kings Academy, Middlesbrough;
	Macmillan Academy (former CTC), Middlesbrough; and
	Landau Forte College (former CTC), Derby.
	The 36 academies with a higher proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals than the proportion living in the local authority area are
	Mossbourne Community Academy, Hackney;
	Petchey Academy, Hackney;
	Lambeth Academy, Lambeth;
	Haberdashers' Aske's Knights Academy, Lewisham;
	City of London Academy, Southwark;
	the Academy at Peckham, Southwark;
	Harris Academy, Bermondsey, Southwark;
	Harris Girls' Academy, East Dulwich, Southwark;
	Paddington Academy, Westminster;
	Westminster Academy, Westminster;
	London Academy, Barnet;
	Business Academy, Bexley;
	Capital City Academy, Brent;
	West London Academy, Ealing;
	Greig City Academy, Haringey;
	Stockley Academy, Hillingdon;
	Harefield Academy, Hiliingdon;
	Harris Academy, Merton;
	St Mark's Church of England Academy, Merton;
	Walthamstow Academy; Waltham Forest;
	Grace Academy, Solihull;
	the Academy of St Francis of Assisi, Liverpool;
	North Liverpool Academy, Liverpool;
	Manchester Academy, Manchester;
	Barnsley Academy, Barnsley;
	Trinity Academy, Doncaster;
	Sheffield Park Academy, Sheffield;
	Sheffield Springs Academy, Sheffield;
	David Young Community Academy, Leeds;
	the City Academy Bristol, City of Bristol;
	Unity City Academy, Middlesbrough;
	John Madejski Academy, Reading;
	Gateway Academy, Thurrock;
	Marlowe Academy, Kent;
	Djanogly City Academy, City of Nottingham; and
	Northampton Academy, Northamptonshire.
	Details of the number and proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals in each academy and their local authorities are given in the following table.
	
		
			 Academies  Local authority 
			  Predecessor academy  Year open  Local authority  Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals  Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals  Number known to be eligible for free meals  Percentage known to be eligible for free meals 
			 St. Pauls Academy 2005 Greenwich 179 25.6 4,050 28.1 
			 Mossbourne Community Academy 2004 Hackney 249 40.6 2,460 37.3 
			 Petchey Academy 2006 Hackney 86 47.8 2,460 37.3 
			 Burlington Danes Academy 2006 Hammersmith and Fulham 166 20.6 1,520 25.3 
			 Lambeth Academy 2004 Lambeth 229 43.0 3,060 37.4 
			 Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College(1) 2005 Lewisham 181 17.5 2,860 25.7 
			 Haberdashers' Aske's Knights Academy 2005 Lewisham 321 44.1 2,860 25.7 
			 City of London Academy 2003 Southwark 273 36.5 2,660 31.9 
			 The Academy at Peckham 2003 Southwark 530 50.8 2,660 31.9 
			 Harris Academy, Bermondsey 2006 Southwark 532 60.6 2,660 31.9 
			 Harris Girls' Academy, East Dulwich 2006 Southwark 312 40.6 2,660 31.9 
			 Paddington Academy 2006 Westminster 428 54.7 1990 29.7 
			 Westminster Academy 2006 Westminster 304 40.7 1990 29.7 
			 London Academy 2004 Barnet 432 43.0 2,920 15.0 
			 The Business Academy, Bexley 2002 Bexley 543 39.2 1,500 8.1 
			 Capital City Academy 2003 Brent 313 34.9 3,750 22.6 
			 West London Academy 2003 Ealing 439 40.6 3,930 25.6 
			 Greig City Academy 2002 Haringey 251 37.4 4,010 33.8 
			 Stockley Academy 2004 Hillingdon 274 40.8 2,880 16.8 
			 The Harefield Academy 2005 Hillingdon 88 17.4 2,880 16.8 
			 Harris Academy, Merton 2006 Merton 195 30.0 880 12.2 
			 St Marks Church of England Academy 2006 Merton 194 27.1 880 12.2 
			 Walthamstow Academy 2006 Waltham Forest 214 31.7 3,270 24.7 
			 Sandwell Academy 2006 Sandwell 26 14.4 4,020 20.3 
			 Grace Academy 2006 Solihull 319 29.6 1,440 10.1 
			 Walsall Academy 2003 Walsall 82 12.0 3,480 16.8 
			 The Academy of St Francis of Assisi 2005 Liverpool 312 47.2 8,430 27.8 
			 North Liverpool Academy 2006 Liverpool 406 41.1 8,430 27.8 
			 Manchester Academy 2003 Manchester 399 51.2 8,930 38.6 
			 Salford City Academy 2005 Salford 105 18.0 2,650 23.3 
			 The Barnsley Academy 2006 Barnsley 159 37.5 2,150 16.2 
			 Trinity Academy 2005 Doncaster 176 16.4 2,780 13.8 
			 Sheffield Park Academy 2006 Sheffield 385 36.3 4,170 14.3 
			 Sheffield Springs Academy 2006 Sheffield 342 34.9 4,170 14.3 
			 Dixons City Academy(1) 2005 Bradford 59 7.2 8,070 23.7 
			 David Young Community Academy 2006 Leeds 371 42.1 7,450 16.0 
			 The City Academy, Bristol 2003 Bristol, City of 381 39.7 2,600 17.1 
			 Unity City Academy 2002 Middlesbrough 466 45.0 1,750 31.8 
			 The King's Academy 2003 Middlesbrough 293 25.8 1,750 31.8 
			 Macmillan Academy(1) 2005 Middlesbrough 293 25.8 1,750 31.8 
			 Landau Forte College(1) 2006 Derby 88 11.2 2,450 15.6 
			 John Madejski Academy 2006 Reading 150 30.4 630 11.4 
			 The Gateway Academy 2006 Thurrock 296 36.2 860 10.7 
			 The Marlowe Academy 2005 Kent 187 31.5 7,790 7.9 
			 Djanogly City Academy, Nottingham 2003 Nottingham 446 32.7 3,750 27.9 
			 Northampton Academy 2004 Northamptonshire 193 16.3 2,510 5.5 
			 (1) Former CTC.

Academies: Sponsorship

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what obligations are placed on new sponsors of academy schools; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: When setting up an academy, the Department places requirements on the academy trust set up by the sponsor, rather than the sponsors themselves. The requirements are set out in the Funding Agreement and Deed of Gift. Copies of the model Funding Agreement and Deed of Gift have been placed in the House Library.

Academies: Sponsorship

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will list the public-sector  (a) sponsors and  (b) co-sponsors of academies in each quarter since 1 January 2002.

Jim Knight: The names of public-sector sponsors and co-sponsors for open academies are shown in the following table. Information relates to the quarter in which each academy was opened.
	
		
			  Academy name  Opening date  Sponsor  Co-sponsor  Opening quarter 
			 City of London Southward Academy September 2003 Corporation of London  3(rd) quarter 
			 Macmillan Academy September 2005 Macmillan CTC  3(rd) quarter 
			 Dixons City Academy September 2005 Dixons CTC  3(rd) quarter 
			 Madeley Academy April 2007 Thomas Telford School (CTC)  2(nd) quarter 
			 John Cabot Academy September 2007 John Cabot CTC Trust  3rd Quarter 
			 The Bristol Brunei Academy September 2007 John Cabot Academy  3(rd) quarter 
			 Marsh Academy September 2007 Microsoft and Tonbridge School Kent CC 3(rd) quarter 
			 Leigh Technology Academy September 2007 Leigh CTC  3(rd) quarter 
			 Harris City Academy, Crystal Palace September 2007 CTC Trust/Harris Federation of South London Schools Trust  3(rd) quarter 
			 Cornwallis (name TBC), South Maidstone Federation September 2007 Cornwallis Online Learning Kent CC 3(rd) quarter 
			 New Line Learning Academy September 2007 Cornwallis Online Learning Kent CC 3(rd) quarter

Academies: Sponsorship

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) public sector bodies and  (b) local authorities (i) sponsored and (ii) co-sponsored academies prior to 1 May 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Prior to 1 May 2007 Funding Agreements had been signed for academies where the Royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Kent county council were co-sponsors, and where the Corporation of London was the lead sponsor. In addition to these, Funding Agreements had been signed where the following public sector bodies are acting as lead sponsors of academies:
	Macmillan City Technology College;
	Dixons City Technology College;
	Thomas Telford School;
	John Cabot City Technology College;
	Leigh City Technology College;
	Harris City Technology College; and
	Brooke Weston City Technology College.

Academies: Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what powers are available to  (a) his Department and  (b) local authorities to deal with underperforming academies; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: A range of possible measures available to the Department to deal with underperforming academies, similar to the range of interventions are available for dealing with other underperforming state-funded schools. These range from providing support through School Improvement Partners and Educational Advisers to powers vested in the Secretary of State, which include the power to close an academy in the unlikely event that other interventions have not worked.
	Academies are independent schools, and local authorities have no powers of intervention relating to an Academy's performance. However, each academy has at least one local authority representative on its governing body.

Academies: Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what comparative assessment he has made of the comparative effectiveness of academies and fresh start schools in improving academic comparative performance.

Jim Knight: The February 2007 National Audit Office report on the academies programme found that for three main measures of GCSE performance in 2006, academy pupils gained on average better results than fresh start schools. The percentage of pupils in academies with five or more grades A*-C was 40 per cent. in comparison to 35 per cent. in fresh start schools; the percentage in academies with five or more grades A*-G was 80 per cent. in comparison to 79 per cent., and the percentage with five or more grades A*-C including English and maths was 22 per cent. in comparison to 17 per cent. in fresh start schools.

Assessments

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether any examination dates were set for students after they had finished term and left school in 2007.

Jim Knight: The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) is responsible for setting the timetable for GCSE and A level examinations and does this after consulting on a provisional timetable a year in advance of when the examinations are taken. In the 2007 summer examination series, the final date for GCSE examinations was 27 June, the final date for GCE examinations was 28 June and for the final date for AEA examinations was 29 June. Across England local authorities (and independent schools) set term dates in full knowledge of these dates and typically finish summer term in mid-July.

Assessments: Standards

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will bring forward proposals to establish an independent regulator of examination standards.

Jim Knight: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 26 September 2007 his intention to establish an independent regulator of examinations and tests. On 17 December my Department, with the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, published the consultation paper Confidence in Standards: Regulating and developing qualifications and assessment (Cm 7281), which sets out the detail of our proposals. Copies of the consultation paper are available in the House Library.
	We are consulting on these proposals until 10 March 2008 and will bring forward legislation to establish the new regulator at the earliest opportunity.

Biometrics: Fingerprints

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will commission a review of the academic literature on the reversibility of biometric templates to recreate fingerprints.

Jim Knight: The Department has no plans to commission a review of the academic literature on the reversibility of biometric templates to recreate fingerprints. The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency is responsible for monitoring this and other aspects of technology in schools and will take appropriate action as it considers necessary. BECTA published guidance on the use of biometric technology in July 2007.

Buildings Schools for the Future Programme: Sustainable Development

Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps have been taken to ensure that developments under the Building Schools for the Future programme have the lowest possible environmental impact.

Jim Knight: The Department recently introduced new standards for carbon emissions from new school buildings. The Children's Plan contains a new requirement for all new build schools to reduce carbon emissions by at least 60 per cent. It also includes our longer-term ambition for all new school buildings to be zero carbon by 2016 and we are now appointing a taskforce to advise on how this can be achieved.
	These targets for carbon emission complement our requirements for environmental assessments using BREEAM, the Building Research Establishments Environmental Assessment Methodology, which we have adapted for schools. Since 2005 it has been our requirement that major school building projects achieve a minimum BREEAM rating of 'very good'.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 7 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 212-14W, on education maintenance allowance, what the reasons were for the increase in the administration costs of the education maintenance allowance between 2003-04 and 2004-05.

Jim Knight: The education maintenance allowance (EMA) was piloted in England from 1999, and launched nationally from September 2004. The administration costs increased as the scheme became available across the country from that date.

Education Maintenance Allowance: Copeland

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many pupils within Copeland have been eligible to receive education maintenance allowance over the last three years;
	(2)  how many pupils were eligible in  (a) Cumbria and  (b) Copeland to receive education maintenance allowance at (i) 30, (ii) 20 and (iii) 10 over the last three years.

Jim Knight: These are matters for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) which operates the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and holds the information about take-up and payments made under the scheme. Mark Haysom, the council's chief executive, will write to the hon. Gentleman with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.
	 Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 8 January 2008:
	I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Questions that asked:
	How many pupils within Copeland have been eligible to receive education maintenance allowance over the past three years; and
	How many pupils were eligible in (a) Cumbria and (b) Copeland to receive education maintenance allowance at (i) 30, (ii) 20 and (iii) 10 over the last three years.
	Information on the number of young people who have applied, enrolled and received Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is available at Local Authority Level, but not at constituency level. EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payments in the academic year.
	To be eligible for an EMA a young person must be aged 16-19 and be in full-time learning or following a valid Entry to Employment Programme led Apprenticeship (at least 16 guided learning hours per week). Applications are income assessed, based on the learner's total household income, with the maximum income to be eligible in 2007-08 of 30,810.
	In the first year of national roll out (2004/05) EMA was available to all 16 year olds across England and to 17 and 18 year olds in former pilot areas (as Cumbria was not a pilot area this did not apply to them). In 2005/06 EMA roll out continued and EMA was available to all 16 and 17 year olds nationally. In 2006/07 EMA is available to all 16, 17 and 18 year olds nationally.
	The following table shows the percentage of young people receiving EMA in Cumbria Local Authority area during each academic year since national roll out. The reasons why young people did not receive EMA may be that: they were not eligible, they did not apply, or they were in employment, NEET, etc.
	
		
			  Percentage of population cohort receiving EMA in each academic yearCumbria 
			   Percentage 
			 2004-05 (16-year-olds only) 33 
			 2005-06 (16 and 17-year-olds) 27 
			 2006-07 (16, 17 and 18-year-olds) 23 
			 2006-07(1) (16, 17 and 18-year-olds) 29 
			 (1 )To end December. 
		
	
	The following table shows EMA take-up data split by payment band for Cumbria Local Authority area during each academic year since national roll out.
	
		
			  Take-up of EMA in each academic yearCumbria local authority 
			   Band  
			   30  20  10  Total 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  
			 2004-05 1,587 74 238 11 329 15 2,154 
			 2005-06 2,845 76 445 12 458 12 3,748 
			 2006-07 3,724 79 504 11 491 10 4,719 
			 2007-08(1) 3,494 79 468 11 439 10 4,401 
			 (1 )To end December. 
		
	
	I hope you find this information useful. EMA take-up data showing the number of young people who have received one or more EMA payments during 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07 and to date in 2007/08 is now also available on the LSC website, at the following address:
	http://www.lsc.gov.uk/providers/Data/statistics/learner/EMA_take_up.htm

Education Maintenance Allowance: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many young people in the Peterborough constituency received the education maintenance allowance in the last year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), which operates the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and hold the information about take-up and payments made under the scheme. Mark Haysom, the council's chief executive, will write to the hon. Gentleman with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.
	 Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 19 December 2007:
	I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question that asked:
	How many young people in Peterborough constituency received education maintenance grants in the last year for which figures are available.
	Information on the number of young people who have applied, enrolled and received Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is available at Local Authority Level, but not at constituency level.
	EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payments in the academic year. EMA take-up for City of Peterborough Local Authority area is as follows:
	2006/072,017
	I hope you find this information useful. EMA take-up data showing the number of young people who have received one or more EMA payments during 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07 and to date in 2007/08 is now also available on the LSC website at the following address:
	http://www.lsc.gov.uk/providers/Data/statistics/learner/EMA_take_up.htm

Further Education: Essex

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of young people in  (a) the Colchester constituency and  (b) Essex County Council area remained in full-time education in the year after they ended compulsory schooling in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the proportion of all academic age 16-year-olds participating in full-time education in Essex local authority in each year since 1997. These figures are not currently available at parliamentary constituency level.
	Participation of 16-year-olds in education and training is published in the Statistical First Release: Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16 to 18-year-olds in England: 2005 and 2006 and Participation in Education and Training by 16 and 17-year-olds in each local area in England: 2004 and 2005. See the following link:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000734/index.shtml
	
		
			  Participation of 16-year-olds in full-time education, Essex 
			  Percentage 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001 (a)  2001 (b)  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Essex(1) 71 72 71 70 68 69 71 70 72 74 
			 Essex(1)  71 72 70 67 70 72 71 73 75 
			 Southend-on-Sea  78 79 76 77 65 74 67 74 74 
			 Thurrock  64 60 64 61 64 64 67 66 72 
			 England 70 70 72 71 71 71 72 72 73 76 
			 (1) The two figures for Essex are for (i) Essex county council and (ii) Essex unitary authority (UA). The former contains Essex UA, Southend-on-Sea UA and Thurrock UA. Figures for these UAs are not available for 1997.  Notes: 1. Learner in Special Designated Institutes (SDIs) and External Institutes (EIs) have been included from 2002 onwards. 2. For 2001 onwards, information for pupils in maintained schools, CTCs and academies is included by the pupil's residence, rather than the address of the school. The table 2001 (a) provides the figures on the old basis, 2001 (b) on the new basis.

Further Education: Staffordshire

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of young people in  (a) the Tamworth constituency and  (b) Staffordshire County Council area remained in full-time education in the year after they ended compulsory schooling in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the proportion of all academic age 16-year-olds participating in full-time education in Staffordshire local authority in each year since 1997. These figures are not currently available at parliamentary constituency level.
	Participation of 16-year-olds in education and training is published in the Statistical First Release: Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16-18 Year Olds in England; 2005 and 2006 and Participation in Education and Training by 16 and 17 Year Olds in each Local Area in England: 2004 and 2005, please see the following link:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000734/index.shtml
	
		
			  Table 1: Participation of 16-year-olds in full-time education, Staffordshire 
			  Percentage 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001 (a)  2001 (b)  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Staffordshire(1) 64 65 67 67 67 68 67 70 71 72 
			
			 Staffordshire(1) 68 69 70 68 69 70 69 72 73 74 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 50 52 58 61 59 60 59 62 64 67 
			 England 70 70 72 71 71 71 72 72 73 76 
			 (1 )The two figures for Staffordshire are for (a) Staffordshire county council and (b) Staffordshire unitary authority (UA). The former contains both Staffordshire UA and Stoke-on-Trent UA.  Notes: 1. Learners in special designated institutes (SDIs) and external institutes (EIs) have been included from 2002 onwards. 2. For 2001 onwards, information for pupils in maintained schools, CTCs and academies is included by the pupil's residence, rather than the address of the school. The table 2001 (b) provides the figures on the new basis, 2001 (a) on the old basis.

GCE A-Level

Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his policy is on the promotion of A-levels to students at schools.

Jim Knight: holding answer 17 January 2008
	 All young people should receive high-quality information, advice and guidance on learning and careers options from their schools and from other learning providers, and from the Connexions service so that they can make informed choices. We expect this advice to promote the proven benefits of further education and training. However, it is important that information, advice and guidance are impartial, reflecting needs of the learner, not of the institution providing the advice.
	It is not the Department's policy to promote one learning route over another. Our interest in ensuring that each learner is helped into education and training that is the best for that individual and which is most likely to sustain their participation in learning and lead to the highest level of attainment. For many learners A-levels are the most appropriate way forward; for others, different routes will be appropriate.

GCE A-Level: Standards

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of children in the top 5 per cent. in Key Stage Two tests achieved three A grades at A-level in each of the last three years.

Jim Knight: The information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of pupils achieved five A* to C GCSEs  (a) including mathematics and English and  (b) excluding mathematics and English in (i) the 10 per cent. most deprived neighbourhoods and (ii) the 10 per cent. least deprived neighbourhoods in each year since 1995; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The information for the past two years can be found in the Library or on table 21 at the following links:
	2005/06: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000702/index.shtml
	2006/07: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000768/index.shtml
	The information for other years can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of secondary schools had 50 per cent. or more pupils failing to secure five A* to C grades in GCSEs  (a) including English and mathematics and  (b) excluding English and mathematics in each year since 1990; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Information for the last four years is in the Library.
	Information for further years can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

General Certificate of Secondary Education: Standards

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what target his Department has set for the percentage of pupils attaining five passes at grade A* to C GCSE including English and mathematics.

Jim Knight: As part of the 2007 comprehensive spending review (CSR), a new set of public service agreements and national targets was announced in October 2007. From 2009 onwards there is a dual focus on ensuring that pupils reach the levels expected for their age in both English and mathematics (threshold targets) and improving the rates of progress made by pupils from five to 16 (new progression targets) with increased attention to achieving faster progress for underachieving groups such as children in care and ethnic-minority pupils.
	The key stage 4 threshold target is for 53 per cent. of pupils to achieve 5A*-C GCSEs (and equivalent), including GCSEs in both English and maths by 2011.
	The progression targets will be a major factor in helping all pupilsregardless of their background and circumstancesto realise their potential in English and mathematics in particular. By 2011 we want to see a 15 percentage point improvement in the number of pupils making two levels of progress in English and a 13 percentage point improvement in those making two levels of progress in mathematics between key stage 3 and key stage 4.
	We have also made the commitment that, by 2012, no secondary school should have fewer than 30 per cent. of pupils achieving five GCSEs at grade A*-C including English and mathematics. This children's plan, launched last month, also sets out the ambition that, by 2020, at least 90 per cent. of young people should achieve the equivalent of five higher GCSEs at age 19.

Gifted Children: Staffordshire

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children in  (a) Tamworth constituency and  (b) Staffordshire County Council area have been identified as gifted and talented since 2001.

Jim Knight: The available information is given in the tables. Information on gifted and talented pupils was collected for the first time via the school census in 2006.
	
		
			  Maintained primary and secondary schools( 1) , number and percentage of gifted and talented pupils( 2) , position as at summer each year 2006 and 2007, Tamworth parliamentary constituency and Staffordshire local authority 
			   2006 
			   Tamworth parliamentary constituency  Staffordshire local authority  England( 3) 
			   Number of pupils( 2)  Number of gifted and talented pupils( 2)  Percentage of gifted and talented pupils( 4)  Number of pupils( 2)  Number of gifted and talented pupils( 2)  Percentage of gifted and talented pupils( 4)  Number of pupils( 2)  Number of gifted and talented pupils( 2)  Percentage of gifted and talented pupils( 4) 
			 Maintained primary schools n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Maintained secondary schools(5) 5,878 395 6.7 60,645 4,697 7.7 3,294,710 373,160 11.3 
			 Total n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
		
	
	
		
			   2007 
			   Tamworth parliamentary constituency  Staffordshire local authority  England( 3) 
			   Number of pupils( 2)  Number of gifted and talented pupils( 2)  Percentage of gifted and talented pupils( 4)  Number of pupils( 2)  Number of gifted and talented pupils( 2)  Percentage of gifted and talented pupils( 4)  Number of pupils( 2)  Number of gifted and talented pupils( 2)  Percentage of gifted and talented pupils( 4) 
			 Maintained primary schools 7,740 223 2.9 62,845 1,522 2.4 4,137,620 302,850 7.3 
			 Maintained secondary schools(5) 5,677 480 8.5 59,671 5,629 9.4 3,256,370 425,830 13.1 
			 Total 13,417 703 5.2 122,516 7,151 5.8 7,393,990 728,680 9.9 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes pupils with sole and dual (main) registration. (3) National figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. (4) The number of gifted and talented pupils expressed as a percentage of the total number of pupils. (5) Excludes city technology colleges and academies.  Source: School Census.

Home Education

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether the term, education otherwise than at school is taken by his Department to include elective home education.

Jim Knight: Yes: this is explained in the guidelines for local authorities on monitoring elective home education that were published in November 2007. A copy of the guidelines has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Home Education

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he plans to meet Education Otherwise and other home education organisations.

Jim Knight: I have no plans to meet Education Otherwise and other home education organisations. My officials are in regular contact with them.

Languages: General Certificate of Secondary Education

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many mainstream secondary schools did not enter students for a GCSE in a modern language in each of the last three years.

Jim Knight: The numbers of maintained mainstream schools with no students entered for a GCSE in a modern language in each of the last three years are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2006/07 27 
			 2005/06 27 
			 2004/05 38 
		
	
	The 2004/05 figure relates to French, German or Spanish only.

Languages: Primary Education

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many primary schools in each London borough teach a modern foreign language;
	(2)  which modern foreign languages are taught in primary schools in London.

Jim Knight: The table details the proportion of primary schools in each London borough which reported in autumn 2006 that they were teaching languages in class time. The data were obtained from ongoing research commissioned by the Department, which estimated the proportion of schools teaching languages in class time. The figures are based on a representative sample of maintained primary schools and the survey achieved a 48 per cent. response rate nationally.
	The major languages taught in primary schools in London were French, German, Italian and Spanish. Other languages taught in a small number of schools included Chinese, Japanese, Urdu, Panjabi, Hebrew, Turkish, Albanian and Bengali.
	
		
			  London LAs  Percentage of responding primary schools teaching languages in class time 
			 Camden 100.00 
			 Greenwich 78.57 
			 Hackney 77.78 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 83.33 
			 Islington 100.00 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 83.33 
			 Lambeth 81.25 
			 Lewisham 50.00 
			 Southwark 78.57 
			 Tower Hamlets 25.00 
			 Wandsworth 93.75 
			 Westminster 100.00 
			 Barking and Dagenham 100.00 
			 Bamet 66.67 
			 Bexley 100.00 
			 Brent 71.43 
			 Bromley 86.67 
			 Croydon 63.16 
			 Ealing 72.22 
			 Enfield 86.67 
			 Haringey 71.43 
			 Harrow 100.00 
			 Havering 86.67 
			 Hillingdon 76.92 
			 Hounslow 84.62 
			 Kingston on Thames 66.67 
			 Merton 91.67 
			 Newham 90.91 
			 Redbridge 57.14 
			 Richmond upon Thames 100.00 
			 Sutton 90.91 
			 Waltham Forest 36.36

Mandarin: Primary Education

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to promote the teaching of Mandarin in primary schools.

Jim Knight: The Children's Plan, published in December 2007, confirmed that the primary curriculum will be reviewed, including introducing languages as a compulsory subject. This takes forward the recommendation in Lord Dearing's Languages Review that languages should become a compulsory part of the primary curriculum, and builds on the existing entitlement for all Key Stage 2 pupils to learn a language in class time by 2010.

Members: Correspondence

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he will respond to the letter of 29 November from the hon. Member for Isle of Wight on changes to the school system on the Isle of Wight.

Jim Knight: A reply to this letter was provided by Lord Adonis on 20 December 2007.

Private Education: Academic Year

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families on what basis he decided on the figures of  (a) 28 weeks of education in an academic year and  (b) 12.5 hours of education in a week in seeking to define an independent academic institution.

Jim Knight: We want an 'independent educational institution' to be one that provides the main part of a child's education. As 28 weeks' education per year and 12.5 hours' education per week together constitute more than half a school year and more than half a typical school week for primary age children, these institutions will provide the main part of their pupils' education.

Pupils: Accidents

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils were taken to hospitals owing to accidents within schools in Tamworth constituency in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: The Health and Safety Executive has provided details, as requested, in the following table:
	
		
			  Injuries to students in schools in the local authority of Tamworth, reported to HSE, 2002/03 to 2006/07( 1) 
			   Non-fatal injuries 
			 2002/03 4 
			 2003/04  
			 2004/05 1 
			 2005/06 5 
			 2006/07(1) 7 
			 (1) Provisional.  Notes: 1. Injuries are reported and defined under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995. The information available under RIDDOR 95 includes two categories of severity for members of the public (the category under which students are recorded): fatal injuries and non-fatal injuries that cause a person to be taken from the site of the accident to hospital. Across the period shown there are no recorded fatal injuries to students in Tamworth reported to HSE under RIDDOR. 2. Identified using Standard Occupational Classification 2000 (SOC2000) code 0002 'Student'. 3. Identified using Standard Industrial Classification 1992 (SIC92) codes 80100 'Primary education', 80200 'Secondary education' and 80210 'General secondary education'. 4. The annual basis is the planning year from 1 April to 31 March.

Pupils: Data Protection

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department is taking to prevent school staff removing unencrypted sensitive pupil data from school premises.

Jim Knight: The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency is responsible for producing and publishing guidance for schools on how to ensure the security of their IT systems. BECTA's latest guidance was published in September 2007 and is available on its website. This guidance includes information for schools on monitoring the physical security of ICT equipment, data security and the security of pupil information and data.

Pupils: Drugs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils were stopped on school premises for being in possession of  (a) alcohol and  (b) drugs in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The requested information is not collected centrally.
	Information on the number of exclusions (permanent and fixed period) from schools by reason for exclusion (which includes the category 'drug and alcohol related') has been placed in the Library.

Pupils: English Language

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children with English as a second language there were in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools in each English local authority in (i) 1997, (ii) 2001, (iii) 2005, (iv) 2006 and (v) 2007.

Jim Knight: The available information shows the number of pupils whose first language is known or believed to be other than English. Figures for the years requested have been placed in the Library. Data for the earlier years (1997 and 2001) have been included in the workbook but as the information is not directly comparable owing to a change in the coding framework, it has not been amalgamated into the time series.
	The information is published annually in Schools and Pupils in England: January 2007 (Final). The latest figures relate to 2007 and are available at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000744/index.shtml

Pupils: English Language

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding was available to support pupils with English as a second language in each English local authority area in  (a) 1997,  (b) 2001,  (c) 2005,  (d) 2006 and  (e) 2007 in 2005-06 prices; how much has been made available for 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department does not collect this information. It is a matter for each local authority to determine locally the level of funding for each of its services in the light of local circumstances.

School Leaving

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of imposing sanctions on young people to keep them in education and training; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Without compulsion, there is a risk that young people with lower aspirations, who may come from families and communities which have a poor experience of education and training, are missed as participation increases, and this group will become more marginalised. That is why we believe that to galvanise the system to provide better for this group we must go further, and a different approach is needed. The experience of other countries suggests that if this policy is to have the impact we want, we need to be clear that it can be enforced if necessary. For example, Western Australia raised the participation age from 15 to 16 and has seen the participation rate at 16 rise from 80 per cent. to 98 per cent. The Netherlands has recently changed the law too, and we will look to learn from its experience. Under plans to raise the participation age, sanctions will only be used as a last resort and the focus will be on ensuring there is the right provision and the right support for young people to participate in education and training post-16.

School Meals

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether schools may spend profits on their school meal services in other areas of school expenditure; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Schools may spend all their income, whether from the Dedicated Schools Grant or other sources, including profit on school meals where the service is not contracted out, on expenditure for the purposes of the school or pupils in other maintained schools. Local Management of Schools means that schools are expected to budget within their resources however they are derived, and to manage their own expenditure in the way that best fits the priorities and local needs of the school.

Schools: Admissions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which  (a) academies and  (b) other schools use their powers to admit up to 10 per cent. of children on the basis of aptitude.

Jim Knight: The Department does not collect this information.

Schools: Armed Forces

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many of the recommendations relating to his Department contained in the Defence Committee report Educating Service Children (HC (2005-06) 1054), have been implemented; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Defence Committee recommendations for the then DfES that have been implemented are as follows.
	We have included an indicator in the January 2008 school census which will facilitate research into service children's outcomes;
	We are working closely with the devolved Administrations on the MOD's new cross border forum discussing provision for service children across the whole UK, particularly provision for those with statements of special educational needs (SEN) who move between countries within the UK;
	To improve the transfer of pupil records when they move school, we have continued to publicise the statutory 15 school day rule to ensure that all schools are aware of their responsibilities;
	We are working with a group of heads of schools which have high mobility due to large numbers of service children, to develop best practice guidance to help schools deal with the difficulties mobility causes, and to ease the impact that frequent moves can have on the children;
	The School Admissions Code requires admission authorities to take account of service families' needs and allows them to allocate places in advance where families are moving to their area, using the unit HQ address if necessary where families have yet to be given an address. These provisions have been welcomed by the MOD.
	One recommendation about children with statements of SEN was not accepted. For those children with statements who move frequently, there are regulations governing the transfer of information between local authorities, and the timing of reviews of the statements and any necessary reassessments of the children's SEN. Previously statemented children who return from abroad may have been away for a considerable period and their needs may have changed. It is right that their needs are reassessed on return.

Schools: Biometrics

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will commission an independent assessment of the security of biometric systems used in schools  (a) in libraries,  (b) in canteens and  (c) for registration.

Jim Knight: The Department has no plans to commission an assessment of the security systems used in schools  (a) in libraries,  (b) in canteens and  (c) for registration. The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency is responsible for monitoring this and other aspects of technology in schools and will take appropriate action as it considers necessary. BECTA published guidance on the use of biometric technology in July 2007.

Schools: Buildings

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools in each local authority are using temporary mobile classrooms; and how many such classrooms there are in each local authority.

Jim Knight: Data on school temporary buildings were supplied to my Department by local education authorities in 2001, 2003 and 2005. However, checks on recent months indicate that the completeness and quality of the data was not good enough to accurately assess the number of buildings.
	Central Government capital support for investment in schools has increased from under 700 million in 1996-97 to 6.4 billion in 2007-08 and will rise further to 8 billion by 2010-11. Progress is being made year by year on improving the quality of the school building stock. The bulk of schools capital is now allocated by formula to authorities and schools so that they can address their local priorities, including the replacement of decayed temporary accommodation, on which we have set a high priority. Given the high levels of funding, authorities have the opportunity to replace temporary buildings when they are considered to be unsuitable.
	Modern, high-quality mobile or demountable buildings provide a good environment for teaching and learning where there is short-term need. When they are new, they are required to meet the same building environmental standards as buildings that are not demountable. They might, for instance, be needed to cope with a short-term increase in pupil numbers, or where extensive remodelling or rebuilding of permanent accommodation means providing temporary accommodation on the school site, rather than transporting children elsewhere.

Schools: Buildings

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will establish a national minimum expected condition for school buildings.

Jim Knight: The Education (School Premises) Regulations 1999 set out minimum standards for schools. These regulations are currently under review. The Department has also published a wide range of guidance and building bulletins on design and standards for school buildings.

Schools: Buses

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many designated school buses are fitted with seat belts.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 17 January 2008
	I have been asked to reply.
	The Department does not hold information on the number of designated school buses that are fitted with safety belts.

Schools: Curriculum

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many schools have adopted the Opening Minds curriculum;
	(2)  when he will reply to question 173812, on the Opening Minds curriculum, tabled by the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton on 10 December 2007.

Jim Knight: We do not collect data about which approaches schools take to planning their curriculum. That is a matter for schools themselves, as long as they meet the statutory requirements. The Opening Minds website www.rsa.org.uk, however, suggests that
	there are now over 135 schools using the Opening Minds framework of competences.

Schools: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the difference between budgeted and actual costs incurred in the construction of all new  (a) schools and  (b) academy schools; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The schools for which the Department holds cost information are academies, as follows, with estimated costs including sponsorship. My Department does not hold cost information for other recently completed schools, which were procured locally, Building prices vary significantly according to the size of school, site development costs and local prevailing construction pricing levels.
	
		
			  Academy  Area   million 
			 Bradford Academy Bradford 20 5 
			 Brunei Academy Bristol 24.0 
			 City of London Academy (Southwark) Southwark 33.7 
			 David Young Community Academy Leeds 23.6 
			 Djanogly City Academy Nottingham 23.7 
			 Folkestone Academy Kent 36.8 
			 Grace Academy Solihull 31.7 
			 Haberdashers' Aske's Knights Academy Lewisham 40.5 
			 Harris Academy Croydon 38.0 
			 John Madejski Academy Reading 27.7 
			 Leigh Technology Academy Kent 36.6 
			 London Academy Barnet 34.4 
			 Northampton Academy Northampton 27.4 
			 Paddington Academy Westminster 31.5 
			 Salford City Academy Salford 16.7 
			 Sandwell Academy Sandwell 27.1 
			 Stockley Academy Hillingdon 27.5 
			 The Academy at Peckham Southwark 30.2 
			 The Academy of St. Francis of Assisi Liverpool 20.9 
			 The Bridge Academy Hackney 47.7 
			 The City Academy Bristol 27.7 
			 The Marlowe Academy Kent 27.8 
			 The Petchey Academy Hackney 34.2 
			 The Samworth Enterprise Academy Leicester 19.5 
			 Thomas Deacon Academy Peterborough 50.4 
			 Trinity Academy Doncaster 25.1 
			 West London Academy Ealing 32.2 
			 Westminster Academy Westminster 30.6

Schools: Finance

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the amount of guaranteed funding per school pupil in Hendon is from the  (a) dedicated schools grant and  (b) other specific grants in (i) 2007-08 and (ii) 2008-09.

Jim Knight: The Department allocates education so funding to local authorities the requested information for the Hendon constituency is not available. The guaranteed unit of funding per pupil for Barnet local authority for 2007-08 was 4,344 and for 2008-09 it will be 4,559. We do not apply a guaranteed unit of funding to specific grants.

Schools: Inspections

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools in Hendon were inspected by Ofsted in the last 12 months; what the outcome was of each inspection; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for Ofsted. Her Majesty's chief inspector of schools, Christine Gilbert, has written to my hon. Friend and a copy of her reply has been placed in the Library.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 14 January 2008:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for a response.
	Ofsted has inspected 18 schools in Hendon constituency in the last 12 months from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2007. The grades and the date on which they were inspected are shown in the table below.
	
		
			  URN  Inspection date  Grade  School name 
			 134798 26 February 2007 2 good London Academy 
			 101336 27 February 2007 2 good St. Joseph's RC Infant School 
			 101355 14 March 2007 3 satisfactory Dollis Junior School 
			 101326 21 March 2007 2 good St. Paul's CofE Primary School 
			 130935 21 March 2007 3 satisfactory The Hyde School 
			 101359 25 April 2007 2 good Mill Hill County High School 
			 103119 15 May 2007 2 good St. Mary's and St. John's CE Primary School 
			 101364 17 May 2007 2 good St. James' Catholic High School 
			 101258 22 May 2007 1 outstanding Barnfield Primary School 
			 101357 24 May 2007 2 good Hendon School 
			 101395 14 June 2007 1 outstanding Northway School 
			 101376 28 June 2007 1 outstanding Mathilda Marks-Kennedy Jewish Primary School 
			 101339 3 July 2007 2 good Blessed Dominic RC School 
			 133749 11 September 2007 2 good Northgate School 
			 101274 14 November 2007 1 outstanding Deansbrook Infant School 
			 101342 29 November 2007 1 outstanding The Annunciation RC Junior School 
			 101275 10 December 2007 3 satisfactory Dollis Infant School 
			 101343 11 December 2007 1 outstanding Independent Jewish Day School 
		
	
	Ofsted has four categories for grading school inspection: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate. Grade 1 is exceptionally and consistently high, grade 2 is generally above average with no criteria significantly below average, grade 3 is broadly average, and grade 4 is exceptionally low. Grade 4 schools can either be placed in 'special measures' or be given a 'notice to improve'.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners and will be placed in the library of both Houses.

Schools: Isle of Wight

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what discussions he has had with officials on changes to numbers of teaching staff resulting from the reorganisation of schools on the Isle of Wight.

Jim Knight: I have had no discussions with officials on changes to numbers of teaching staff resulting from the reorganisation of schools on the Isle of Wight. This is entirely a matter for the local authority.

Schools: Isle of Wight

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families who would be responsible for funding for redundancies arising from the reorganisation of schools on the Isle of Wight.

Jim Knight: It will be the responsibility of Isle of Wight council to fund any redundancy payments that may result from the reorganisation of schools on the island for which the council is responsible.

Schools: Isle of Wight

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the cost of redundancy payments brought about by the reorganisation of schools on the Isle of Wight.

Jim Knight: No estimates have been made in respect of any redundancies that may result from the reorganisation of schools on the Isle of Wight, as these decisions are a matter for local determination.

Schools: Isle of Wight

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether his Department has conducted a study of the effect of the reorganisation of schools on the Isle of Wight on the number of road miles driven and car journeys made to travel to schools.

Jim Knight: No such study has been undertaken by the Department. It is for local authorities to decide how best to organise the schools in their areas in the light of local circumstances. Concerns about the proposal should therefore be directed to Isle of Wight council.
	In making proposals, authorities must consider the implications for school travel and transport, and the Department's statutory guidance to decision-makers makes clear that they should bear in mind that proposals should not unreasonably extend journey times or increase transport costs. In addition, the proposals should not result in too many children being prevented from walking or cycling to school because routes are unsuitable.

Schools: Listed Buildings

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many educational establishments in receipt of funding from his Department are accommodated in listed buildings; and how many of these have been designated as in need of significant repair.

Jim Knight: The Department does not hold information on which educational buildings are listed.
	The bulk of schools capital is allocated by formula to authorities and schools, so that they can address their local asset management planning priorities, including any necessary repairs to listed buildings. Schools decide on the amount of revenue funding to allocate to building repairs and maintenance.
	Central Government capital support for investment in schools has increased from under 700 million in 1996-97 to 6.4 billion in 2007-08, and will rise further to 8 billion by 2010-11. While reducing maintenance requirements is a long-term aim, the primary objectives for funding are to raise educational standards and tackle local deprivation. A substantial proportion of capital funding is targeted at transformational programmes, such as Building Schools for the Future and the primary capital programmes. Over time, these programmes will significantly reduce future maintenance requirements.

Schools: Repairs and Maintenance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of funding arrangements outside centralised programmes for the allocation of resources to ensure that schools are properly maintained; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department does not collect the information requested from schools or local authorities. It is the responsibility for each local authority and its schools to make decisions locally on repairs and maintenance.

Schools: Rural Areas

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding was allocated to each local authority to support small rural schools in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The allocation formula for dedicated schools grant (DSG) does not separately allocate money to support small rural schools; it starts from local authorities' spending on schools for 2005-06, which is closely related to the formula for schools formula spending shares in use that year. That formula took account of the needs of sparsely populated authorities to keep open small rural primary schools, using an indicator of sparsity. The following table sets out estimated amounts within 2007-08 allocations of DSG, derived from the amounts allocated through the schools FSS formula in 2005-06 on the basis of sparsity, updated appropriately.
	
		
			  Authority  Estimated amount for sparsity ( million) 
			 Barking and Dagenham  
			 Barnet  
			 Barnsley 0.30 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 0.49 
			 Bedfordshire 2.49 
			 Bexley  
			 Birmingham  
			 Blackburn with Darwen 0.20 
			 Blackpool  
			 Bolton  
			 Bournemouth  
			 Bracknell Forest 0.08 
			 Bradford 0.48 
			 Brent  
			 Brighton and Hove  
			 Bristol, City of  
			 Bromley 0.06 
			 Buckinghamshire 2.79 
			 Bury  
			 Calderdale 0.55 
			 Cambridgeshire 5.88 
			 Camden  
			 Cheshire 3.52 
			 City of London 0.002 
			 Cornwall 5.27 
			 Coventry  
			 Croydon  
			 Cumbria 6.37 
			 Darlington 0.34 
			 Derby  
			 Derbyshire 4.36 
			 Devon 8.99 
			 Doncaster 1.62 
			 Dorset 3.90 
			 Dudley  
			 Durham 2.61 
			 Ealing  
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 3.75 
			 East Sussex 2.74 
			 Enfield  
			 Essex 6.27 
			 Gateshead 0.12 
			 Gloucestershire 4.16 
			 Greenwich  
			 Hackney  
			 Halton 0.06 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham  
			 Hampshire 5.86 
			 Haringey  
			 Harrow  
			 Hartlepool 0.13 
			 Havering  
			 Herefordshire 2.87 
			 Hertfordshire 2.68 
			 Hillingdon  
			 Hounslow  
			 Isle of Wight 0.92 
			 Islington  
			 Kensington and Chelsea  
			 Kent 5.92 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of  
			 Kingston upon Thames  
			 Kirklees 1.01 
			 Knowsley 0.23 
			 Lambeth  
			 Lancashire 4.66 
			 Leeds 0.69 
			 Leicester  
			 Leicestershire 3.49 
			 Lewisham  
			 Lincolnshire 9.35 
			 Liverpool  
			 Luton  
			 Manchester  
			 Medway 0.42 
			 Merton  
			 Middlesbrough  
			 Milton Keynes 0.76 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne  
			 Newham  
			 Norfolk 8.80 
			 North East Lincolnshire 0.42 
			 North Lincolnshire 1.40 
			 North Somerset 0.77 
			 North Tyneside  
			 North Yorkshire 10.17 
			 Northamptonshire 4.15 
			 Northumberland 3.29 
			 Nottingham  
			 Nottinghamshire 3.27 
			 Oldham 0.21 
			 Oxfordshire 4.19 
			 Peterborough 0.49 
			 Plymouth  
			 Poole  
			 Portsmouth  
			 Reading  
			 Redbridge  
			 Redcar and Cleveland 0.39 
			 Richmond upon Thames  
			 Rochdale  
			 Rotherham 0.49 
			 Rutland 0.57 
			 Salford  
			 Sandwell  
			 Sefton  
			 Sheffield 0.32 
			 Shropshire 4.36 
			 Slough  
			 Solihull 0.39 
			 Somerset 5.39 
			 South Gloucestershire 1.14 
			 South Tyneside  
			 Southampton  
			 Southend-on-Sea  
			 Southwark  
			 St. Helens 0.13 
			 Staffordshire 4.10 
			 Stockport  
			 Stockton-on-Tees 0.29 
			 Stoke-on-Trent  
			 Suffolk 6.12 
			 Sunderland  
			 Surrey 2.14 
			 Sutton  
			 Swindon 0.43 
			 Tameside  
			 Telford and Wrekin 0.59 
			 Thurrock 0.21 
			 Torbay  
			 Tower Hamlets  
			 Trafford  
			 Wakefield 0.24 
			 Walsall  
			 Waltham Forest  
			 Wandsworth  
			 Warrington 0.06 
			 Warwickshire 3.38 
			 West Berkshire 1.05 
			 West Sussex 2.96 
			 Westminster  
			 Wigan  
			 Wiltshire 5.87 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 0.38 
			 Wirral  
			 Wokingham 0.38 
			 Wolverhampton  
			 Worcestershire 2.34 
			 York 0.32

Schools: Staffordshire

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what factors were taken into account in deciding the amount allocated to Staffordshire for the school funding settlement for 2008-09 to 2010-11; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Staffordshire's allocation of dedicated schools grant (DSG) for 2008-09 to 2010-11 depends on the following factors: the authority's 2007-08 guaranteed unit of funding for DSG and the number of pupils aged three to 15 in the authority's schools and early years providers. It includes an increase of 2.5 million for pockets of deprivation. Full details of the calculation of dedicated schools grant allocations may be found on TeacherNet at
	http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/docbank/index.cfm?id=12222.

Schools: Standards

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he has discussed with Ofsted the commissioning of research on the relative frequency of primary schools, junior schools and infant schools being placed in either special measures or notice to improve categories.

Jim Knight: Ofsted and the DCSF have discussed the relative performance of different types of school in the primary age phase, and are continuing to analyse relevant data. I will write to the hon. Member with further details.

Schools: Training

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which obligatory training courses school staff must attend annually.

Jim Knight: There is a range of training and development opportunities available to all school staff. However, there are no obligatory training courses which the Department requires school staff to attend annually.

Science: Secondary Education

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what  (a) curricular and  (b) extra-curricular programmes his Department is supporting to encourage the study of science at key stages 3 and 4;
	(2)  how much his Department spent on promoting the study of science, technology, engineering and mathematics at key stage 3 in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The Government are supporting a number of curricular and extra curricular programmes that aim to encourage the study of science at key stages 3 and 4 and beyond. These include
	The introduction of a new science programme of study at key stage 3 for first teaching from September 2008. As with the new science programme of study at key stage 4 that was introduced in 2006 it will maintain the breadth, depth and challenge of the previous curriculum, but will have a better balance between knowledge and understanding.
	The secondary national strategy which provides a comprehensive professional development programme for teachers which includes training and materials and support from local consultants who are experts in their field. The strategy sets high expectations and is designed to raise standards for all pupils in all circumstances, but also focuses on pupils who need extra support and who are falling behind.
	The national network of science learning centres to provide professional development for science teachers and technicians. The training focuses on encouraging innovative and exciting teaching practice that will enthuse and inspire young people and improve the subject specialism of science teachers.
	Piloting 250 after school science and engineering clubs offering an engaging and stretching programme of activities to key stage 3 pupils with interest and potential in science. A further 250 clubs will be established from September 2008.
	Establishing a system for coordinating the many enhancement and enrichment activities that are available to make it easier for schools to access them. This will include the publication of directories of nationally available activities.
	Project Faraday, which is developing inspirational exemplar designs for school laboratories which will reflect the latest thinking on what is required to ensure effective science teaching. A book showing the exemplar designs will be published in early 2008.
	The new triple science support programme, delivered by the Learning and Skills Network, which provides practical advice and support to schools to offer separate GCSEs in biology, physics and chemistry.
	Information on how much has been spent on science, technology, engineering and mathematics at key stage 3 since 1997 can be provided only at disproportionate cost, or cannot be disaggregated from wider budgets.
	From September 2008 the Government want to make GCSEs in the individual sciences of physics, chemistry and biology (triple science) more accessible to pupils who would benefit. To achieve this we are introducing a non-statutory entitlement to triple science for all pupils who achieve level 6 in science at key stage 3. All specialist science colleges will be expected to deliver triple science from 2008. The Government have also put in place the triple science support programme to support schools as mentioned above. This will include the delivery of 600 days of training to schools by the end of March 2008. The programme has also established 40 local triple science networks to support schools starting to offer triple science.

Science: Teachers

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimates he has made of the proportion of  (a) science and  (b) mathematics teachers in secondary schools who were not qualified at degree level in these subjects in each year from 1995 to 2007.

Jim Knight: The information is not available in the format requested, but information on the level of qualification of full-time teachers in service in secondary schools in the subjects they teach is available from the Secondary School Curriculum and Staffing Survey (SSCSS) an occasional sample survey undertaken in the years 1988, 1992, 1996, 2002 and 2007. Figures for 2007 are expected to be published in early 2008.
	The following tables show the number of full-time teachers employed in maintained secondary schools by the highest post A-level qualification held in the subjects they taught in 1996 and 2002, the years for which figures are currently available.
	
		
			  Teachers in service:  Full-time teachers in maintained secondary schoolshighest level of qualification( 1)  by subject of qualification( 2) , at November 1996,  England 
			   Percentage  Total 
			   Degree( 3)  BEd  PGCE  Cert Ed  Other  qual.  Total  Number (thousand) 
			 Mathematics 47 18 15 17 3 100 27.1 
			 English 49 18 14 18 1 100 31.6 
			 Biology 55 13 14 18 1 100 11.3 
			 Chemistry 66 10 14 10  100 10.7 
			 Physics 53 12 20 13 2 100 10.4 
			 General Science 29 13 44 13 1 100 15.5 
			 Other Sciences 66 10 12 10 2 100 6.2 
			 French 59 12 16 10 2 100 15.5 
			 German 64 11 18 4 3 100 6.9 
			 Spanish 68 5 21  6 100 2.5 
			 Other Modem Languages 68 5 18 4 5 100 2.7 
			 Design and Technology 16 32 13 35 4 100 11.1 
			 Information Technology 36 17 19 8 20 100 4.9 
			 Other Technology 47 13 6 19 15 100 4.4 
			 Home Economics 13 25 4 55 3 100 6.8 
			 Business Studies 31 22 18 17 12 100 4.3 
			 Classics 83 3 7 2 6 100 1.4 
			 History 54 14 14 17 1 100 19.2 
			 Religious Education 34 20 17 26 3 100 8.6 
			 Geography 43 22 12 23 1 100 15.6 
			 Other Social Studies 70 14 8 6 3 100 11.3 
			 Combined Arts/Humanities/Social Studies 55 19 14 11 1 100 4.2 
			 Music 49 16 9 23 2 100 6.3 
			 Drama 27 19 25 25 4 100 8.0 
			 Art 42 17 9 30 3 100 10.8 
			 Physical Education 13 37 11 38 1 100 22.0 
			 Careers Education 11 10 11 20 48 100 0.9 
			 Personal and Social Education 24 17 22 20 16 100 2.3 
			 General Studies 20 23 28 24 5 100 2.2 
			 General Primary Subjects 14 9 48 21 8 100 1.0 
			 Other 45 13 10 10 22 100 21.5 
			 
			 Total(2) 44 18 15 19 4 100 307.2 
			 (1) Where a teacher has more than one post A-level qualification in the same subject, the qualification level is determined by the highest level reading from left (degree) to right (other qualifications). For example, teachers shown under PGCE have a PGCE but not a degree or BEd in the subject, while those with a PGCE and a degree are shown only under degree. (2) Teachers are counted once against each subject in which they have a post A-level qualification (3) Includes higher degrees but excludes BEds.  Source: 1996/97 Secondary Schools Curriculum and Staffing Survey. 
		
	
	
		
			  Teachers in service: Full-time teachers in maintained secondary schoolshighest post A-level qualifications( 1)  held in the subjects they teach( 2)  to year groups 7-13, England 
			   Percentage  
			   Degree( 3)  BEd  PGCE  Cert Ed  Other qual.  No qual.  Total teachers (thousand) 
			 Mathematics 42 ± 3 15 ± 2 9 ± 2 7 ± 1 2 ± 1 24 ± 2 28.2 
			 English 51 ± 3 15 ± 2 7 ± 1 6 ± 1 1 ± 1 20 ± 2 29.4 
			 
			 Combined/General science 62 ± 3 12 ± 2 10 ± 2 4 ± 1 1 ± 1 11 ± 2 28.3 
			 Biology(4) 71 ± 5 7 ± 3 11 ± 4 3 ± 2 - ± 1 7 ± 3 5.6 
			 Chemistry(4) 72 ± 5 6 ± 3 12 ± 4 1 ± 1 1 ± 1 7 ± 3 5.2 
			 Physics(4) 63 ± 6 11 ± 4 15 ± 4 3 ± 2 - ± - 8 ± 3 4.7 
			 Other sciences(4) 10 ± 6 4 ± 4 5 ± 4 - ± - - ± - 80 ± 8 1.6 
			 
			 French 54 ± 3 7 ± 2 10 ± 2 3 ± 1 2 ± 1 23 ± 3 16.0 
			 German 47 ± 5 6 ± 3 13 ± 4 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 30 ± 5 6.9 
			 Spanish 37 ± 7 8 ± 4 19 ± 6 - ± - 3 ± 2 33 ± 7 3.6 
			 Other modern languages 18 ± 8 - ± - 9 ± 7 - ± - 3 ± 4 71 ±10 1.4 
			 
			 Design and technology(5) 26 ± 3 20 ± 3 7 ± 2 21 ± 3 2 ± 1 24 ± 3 20.9 
			 ICT(5, 6) 13 ± 2 6 ± 1 8 ± 2 2 ± 1 3 ± 1 69 ± 3 18.9 
			 Other/Combined technology(5) 30± 1 0 13 ± 8 16 ± 7 18 ± 9 2 ± 3 20 ± 9 1.6 
			 
			 Business studies 30 ± 5 11 ± 4 9 ± 3 4 ± 2 3 ± 2 43 ± 5 6.5 
			 Classics 33 ± 7 - ± - 2 ± 4 2 ± - - ± - 63 ± 7 1.0 
			 History 57 ± 4 9 ± 2 6 ± 2 6 ± 2 - ± - 23 ± 3 13.7 
			 Religious education 22 ± 3 8 ± 2 8 ± 2 4 ± 1 2 ± 1 57 ± 4 14.2 
			 Geography 53 ± 4 9 ± 2 6 ± 2 5 ± 2 1 ± 1 25 ± 3 13.7 
			 Other social studies 35 ± 5 6 ± 3 2 ± 2 2 ± 1 - ± 1 54 ± 6 4.9 
			 Combined arts/humanities/ social studies 5 ± 3 4 ± 2 7 ± 3 1 ± 1 1 ± 1 83 ± 5 5.3 
			 
			 Music 59 ± 5 15 ± 4 5 ± 2 6 ± 3 2 ± 2 13 ± 4 6.3 
			 Drama 25 ± 4 10 ± 3 12 ± 3 6 ± 2 2 ± 1 45 ± 5 8.1 
			 Art and design 54 ± 4 10 ± 3 7 ± 2 9 ± 3 1 ± 1 20 ± 4 9.3 
			 Physical education 25 ± 3 31 ± 3 6 ± 2 13 ± 2 2 ± 1 22 ± 2 21.4 
			 Careers education 2 ± 2 1 ± 2 3 ± 3 4 ± 4 3 ± 4 87 ± 7 1.5 
			 PSHE(6) 1 ± - 1 ± - 2 ± 1 1 ± - - ± - 95 ± 1 61.4 
			 General studies 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 1 ± 1 - ± 1 - ± - 95 ± 2 7.1 
			 Citizenship 2 ± 1 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 - ± 1 - ± - 94 ± 2 9.0 
			 Other   32.8 
			 
			 Total(2, 7) 33 ± - 10 ±- 7 ± - 5 ± - 1 ± - 44 ± - 388.4 
			 '-' = zero or less than 0.5. (1) Where a teacher has more than one post A-level qualification in the same subject, the qualification level is determined by the highest level reading from left (degree) to right (other qual.). For example, teachers shown under PGCE have a PGCE but not a degree or BEd in the subject, while those with a PGCE and a degree are shown only under degree. (2) Teachers are counted once against each subject which they are teaching. (3) Includes higher degrees but excludes BEds. (4) Teachers qualified in combined/general science are treated as qualified to teach biology, chemistry, or physics. Teachers qualified in biology, chemistry or physics are treated as qualified to teach combined/general science. (5) Teachers qualified in other/combined technology are treated as qualified to teach design and technology or information and communication technology. Teachers qualified in design and technology or information and communication technology are treated as qualified to teach other/combined technology. (6) Information and Communication Technology is abbreviated as ICT and Personal Social and Health Education is abbreviated as PSHE. (7) 'Other' not included in total percentages.  Source: Secondary Schools Curriculum and Staffing Survey 2002.

Secondary Education: GCE A-Levels

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of secondary schools with sixth forms submitted more than one pupil for A-Level in  (a) mathematics,  (b) physics,  (c) chemistry,  (d) biology,  (e) French,  (f) Spanish,  (g) German and  (h) Mandarin in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The 2006-07 revised figures are provided as follows:
	
		
			   Number of secondary schools with sixth forms who submitted more than one pupil for A level  Percentage of secondary schools with sixth forms who submitted more than one pupil for a level 
			 Mathematics 2,353 92.9 
			 Physics 2,060 81.3 
			 Chemistry 2,202 86.9 
			 Biology 2,270 89.6 
			 French 1,561 61.6 
			 Spanish 810 32.0 
			 German 1,032 40.7 
			 Mandarin 297 11.7

Secondary Education: Newcastle-Upon-Tyne

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children aged 11 to 16 years  (a) there were in Newcastle-upon-Tyne local education authority schools and  (b) were resident in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in each year from 2004 to 2007.

Jim Knight: The information requested is set out as follows:
	
		
			  Local authority cross border movement of pupils resident in England 
			  Newcastle upon Tyne local authority  2007  2006  2005  2004 
			  Secondary( 1, 2) 
			 Number of pupils residing in LA(3) 14,574 14,812 15,059 14,038 
			 Number of pupils(4) attending schools maintained by the LA 14,115 14,414 14,687 13,920 
			 Number of pupils in residence and attending schools maintained by the LA 13,316 13,565 13,820 13,054 
			  
			  Special( 1, 5) 
			 Number of pupils residing in LA(3) 291 286 244 246 
			 Number of pupils(4 )attending schools maintained by the LA 306 306 296 296 
			 Number of pupils in residence and attending schools maintained by the LA 248 246 218 214 
			 (1) Excludes pupils reported to be boarders. (2) Includes; Solely registered and main registration of dually registered pupils. Pupils aged 11 to 15 as at 31 August attending local authority maintained secondary middle deemed secondary, city technology colleges and academies. (3 )Includes pupils attending maintained schools outside the LA. (4 )Includes unmatched records, (i.e. with missing or invalid postcodes) (5 )Includes: Solely registered and main registration of dually registered pupils. Pupils aged 11 to 15 as at 31 August 2006 attending maintained and non-maintained special schools.

Secondary Education: Teaching Methods

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate has been made of the cost of introducing small group tuition into secondary schools.

Jim Knight: There is no single DCSF programme of small group tuition, although there are various programmes which encourage its use, including the Every Child a Reader and Every Child Counts programmes in primary schools, and Study Plus in secondary schools.
	This range of programmes and the variety and flexibility of approaches used in schools already mean that we cannot give a simple cost for small group teaching in either primary or secondary schools. However, 1.6 billion has been committed to support personalised learning over the Comprehensive spending review SR period 2008-11, building on the 990 million allocated over the last two years. This funding is designed to ensure that every school has the capacity to deliver personalised learning, including the use of smaller groups where appropriate.

Specialised Diplomas

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make a statement on the equivalence between diplomas and GCSEs.

Jim Knight: On 18 December 2007, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) announced that the diplomas would be judged equivalent to 5 GCSEs grade A*-G at the foundation level, 7 GCSEs grade A*-C at the higher level and 3.5 A-levels grade A*-E at the advanced level. The equivalence given to diplomas reflects the size and challenge of completing a large composite qualification.

Specialised Diplomas

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the cost of introducing the new system of school diplomas.

Jim Knight: The estimated cost of introducing diplomas for 2008/09 is as follows:
	KS4: 158 million direct/indirect costs of delivery
	45 million for the additional costs of work force development
	The LSC will provide funding for 16 to 18-year-olds taking up diplomas in sixth forms and colleges based on the funding rates published on 21 December 2007 at http://www.lsc.gov.uk/providers/funding-policy/strategic-overview. These are based on an assessment of cost for each diploma line and level of learning.
	The cost in subsequent years will not be known until the number of places and learners are confirmed.

Specialised Diplomas

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he plans to publish the curriculum specification for the diploma qualifications in  (a) Construction and Built Environment,  (b) Information Technology,  (c) Creative and Media,  (d) Society, Health and Development and  (e) Engineering at the (i) Foundation Diploma level, (ii) Higher Diploma level and (iii) Advanced Diploma level.

Jim Knight: To support the delivery of Diploma learning, we have developed and published guidance in September 2007 for the first five lines of learning, at Foundation Level (level one), Higher Level (level two) and Advanced Level (level three). The purpose of publishing this guidance early at least a year before first teaching of the Diplomas is to support partnership curriculum planners and teachers in making decisions about introducing the Diploma and devising schemes of work. The following curriculum specifications have been accredited and published for first teaching in September 2008:
	Construction and the Built Environment
	Creative and Media
	Engineering
	Information Technology
	Society, Health and Development.
	The guidance is available online at:
	www.qca.org.uk/diploma

Specialised Diplomas: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what additional finance will be made available to schools for each student studying for a diploma; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: An initial allocation of 26 million to cover the additional costs of diplomas in respect of pupils starting diplomas at key stage 4 in 2008/09 was notified to local authorities on 18 December 2007. The average level of funding payable per student from this source in 2008-09 will amount to 1,000.
	The LSC will provide funding for 16 to 18-year-olds taking up Diplomas in sixth forms and colleges based on the funding rates published on 21 December 2007.
	Further details of the funding available and the rates that apply can be accessed through the 14-19 education and skills website at
	http://www,dfes.gov.uk/14-19/index.cfm?sid=43

Specialist Schools: Barnet

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which schools in Barnet have specialist status; what their specialisms are in each case; what funding was made available to each in the latest period for which figures are available; what outstanding applications for specialist status there are; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the information requested. There are 13 maintained secondary schools in Brent local authority, all of which have specialist status. The Government remain committed to the specialist schools programme as a means of raising attainment and achievement for all secondary-age pupils.
	
		
			  School name  Specialism  Second specialisms  Leading options  Specialist school recurrent funding 2007-08 () 
			 Alperton Community School Maths and Computing   181,379 
			 Cardinal Hinsley Mathematics and Computing College Maths and Computing   59,985 
			 Claremont High School Arts Maths and Computing Vocational 343,989 
			 Convent of Jesus and Mary Language College Language   159,000 
			 CoplandA Specialist Science Community College Science   215,559 
			 JFS Humanities   223,209 
			 John Kelly Boys' Technology College Technology   94,170 
			 John Kelly Girls' Technology College Technology Language  211,260 
			 Kingsbury High School Maths and Computing   226,653 
			 Preston Manor High School Science  Raising Achievement Transforming Learning 220,185 
			 Queen's Park Community School Business and Enterprise   129.000 
			 St. Gregory RC High School Science   129,000 
			 Wembley High Technology College Technology  Training School 190,134

Teachers

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will bring forward measures to establish the status of teachers in classrooms as in loco parentis; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Taken together, the Children Act 1989 and the Education and Inspections Act 2006 give teachers the powers they need to manage pupils' behaviour, so new legislation in this area is unnecessary.

Teachers: Greater London

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time (i) primary and (ii) secondary school teachers there were in each London borough in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The following tables provide separately the full-time and part-time head count and part-time full-time equivalent (FTE) number of regular teachers employed in local authority-maintained nursery/primary and secondary schools in England, London and each London local authority from January 2003 to 2007.
	
		
			  Headcount of full-time regular teachers( 1)  in local authority maintained nursery/primary and secondary schools in England and each London local authority, January 2003 to 2007 
			   2003  2004  2005 
			   Nursery/primary  Secondary  Nursery/primary  Secondary  Nursery/primary  Secondary 
			 England 176,460 189,830 174,230 192,780 172,580 196,050 
			
			 London 26,620 25,850 26,940 26,100 26,860 26,820 
			
			 City of London 20  10  10  
			 Camden 530 630 540 630 530 640 
			 Greenwich 850 910 910 920 860 1,020 
			 Hackney 860 540 850 490 930 500 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 450 450 510 420 490 490 
			 Islington 680 500 670 560 690 530 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 350 250 360 230 360 230 
			 Lambeth 910 480 930 490 990 540 
			 Lewisham 950 720 920 710 920 700 
			 Southwark 1,120 700 1,080 710 1,050 710 
			 Tower Hamlets 1,040 920 1,040 910 1,080 940 
			 Wandsworth 800 610 790 640 810 670 
			 Westminster 540 600 550 590 520 600 
			 Barking and Dagenham 720 750 760 790 740 780 
			 Barnet 1,080 1,340 1,090 1,280 1,090 1,250 
			 Bexley 810 1,010 790 1,040 790 990 
			 Brent 980 1,100 1,030 1,060 1,010 1,200 
			 Bromley 980 1,220 970 1,280 980 1,330 
			 Croydon 1,370 1,110 1,350 1,110 1,270 1,150 
			 Ealing 1,070 900 1,110 890 1,070 940 
			 Enfield 1,110 1,330 1,120 1,360 1,130 1,400 
			 Haringey 930 720 900 750 910 800 
			 Harrow 780 530 780 530 780 540 
			 Havering 840 990 820 1,010 810 990 
			 Hillingdon 940 1,030 960 1,100 970 1,150 
			 Hounslow 760 1,000 790 1,070 810 1,080 
			 Kingston upon Thames 460 550 450 530 460 550 
			 Merton 590 490 560 460 580 480 
			 Newham 1,270 1,140 1,460 1,140 1,420 1,170 
			 Redbridge 930 1,200 950 1,210 920 1,170 
			 Richmond upon Thames 480 420 470 380 470 390 
			 Sutton 600 900 570 870 550 920 
			 Waltham Forest 810 820 840 950 850 970 
		
	
	
		
			   2006  2007 
			   Nursery/primary  Secondary  Nursery/primary  Secondary 
			 England 172,050 196,530 169,910 196,480 
			  
			 London 27,130 27,050 27,290 26,850 
			  
			 City of London 10  10  
			 Camden 540 680 560 690 
			 Greenwich 910 1,010 870 1,040 
			 Hackney 920 480 940 470 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 480 450 460 390 
			 Islington 680 570 680 560 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 370 230 370 230 
			 Lambeth 980 520 1,010 550 
			 Lewisham 910 630 930 640 
			 Southwark 1,050 690 1,080 610 
			 Tower Hamlets 1,100 1,010 1,140 1,040 
			 Wandsworth 810 650 810 670 
			 Westminster 530 590 570 490 
			 Barking and Dagenham 740 830 750 840 
			 Barnet 1,130 1,240 1,050 1,230 
			 Bexley 810 1,020 810 1,050 
			 Brent 1,030 1,190 1,050 1,210 
			 Bromley 980 1,350 980 1,380 
			 Croydon 1,190 1,140 1,150 1,140 
			 Ealing 1,070 940 1,110 970 
			 Enfield 1,160 1,450 1,160 1,430 
			 Haringey 930 810 930 780 
			 Harrow 800 550 800 590 
			 Havering 780 1,090 780 1,060 
			 Hillingdon 1,010 1,090 1,020 1,100 
			 Hounslow 810 1,070 790 1,060 
			 Kingston upon Thames 460 550 460 580 
			 Merton 590 490 590 380 
			 Newham 1,470 1,200 1,490 1,190 
			 Redbridge 1,000 1,250 1,000 1,290 
			 Richmond upon Thames 470 410 470 350 
			 Sutton 550 910 590 950 
			 Waltham Forest 880 960 900 920 
			 '' Nil or negligible (1) Excludes teachers in occasional service on contracts of less than one month.  Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 
		
	
	
		
			  Headcount of part-time regular teachers( 1)  in local authority maintained nursery/primary and secondary schools in England and each London local authority, January 2003 to 2007 
			   2003  2004  2005 
			   Nursery/primary  Secondary  Nursery/primary  Secondary  Nursery/primary  Secondary 
			 England 42,660 31,930 45,030 33,660 47,660 34,930 
			
			 London 6,420 4,260 6,460 4,300 6,690 4,390 
			
			 City of London 10  10  10  
			 Camden 110 80 150 130 130 130 
			 Greenwich 260 210 250 210 330 290 
			 Hackney 180 100 190 90 170 90 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 90 50 120 90 90 70 
			 Islington 140 80 140 60 140 70 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 80 70 90 50 100 60 
			 Lambeth 210 80 210 90 180 100 
			 Lewisham 300 160 290 180 290 180 
			 Southwark 160 80 150 50 170 60 
			 Tower Hamlets 200 210 210 170 200 110 
			 Wandsworth 220 150 210 170 220 180 
			 Westminster 200 210 190 230 100 120 
			 Barking and Dagenham 80 70 90 70 100 80 
			 Barnet 420 240 390 250 410 240 
			 Bexley 160 110 160 110 160 110 
			 Brent 230 110 210 80 220 100 
			 Bromley 300 310 260 290 250 270 
			 Croydon 390 200 330 160 520 270 
			 Ealing 190 200 250 150 230 140 
			 Enfield 280 170 320 190 330 190 
			 Haringey 180 70 200 80 210 90 
			 Harrow 320 120 250 120 280 120 
			 Havering 220 160 250 190 240 170 
			 Hillingdon 170 120 230 180 230 180 
			 Hounslow 160 120 140 140 160 140 
			 Kingston upon Thames 130 90 170 130 130 130 
			 Merton 150 80 150 70 170 80 
			 Newham 90 90 190 110 110 90 
			 Redbridge 210 180 210 180 220 210 
			 Richmond upon Thames 210 80 210 70 210 60 
			 Sutton 190 150 190 130 210 170 
			 Waltham Forest 180 110 160 100 150 90 
		
	
	
		
			   2006  2007 
			   Nursery/primary  Secondary  Nursery/primary  Secondary 
			 England 52,420 35,850 53,900 36,610 
			  
			 London 7,050 4,500 7,030 4,310 
			  
			 City of London 10
			 Camden 120 130 130 130 
			 Greenwich 300 230 260 200 
			 Hackney 190 100 220 120 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 110 110 110 70 
			 Islington 150 70 150 50 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 110 50 90 50 
			 Lambeth 200 100 220 80 
			 Lewisham 300 150 280 130 
			 Southwark 210 80 200 60 
			 Tower Hamlets 190 130 190 120 
			 Wandsworth 230 210 250 220 
			 Westminster 110 70 100 60 
			 Barking and Dagenham 110 80 110 110 
			 Barnet 440 250 400 200 
			 Bexley 200 140 210 130 
			 Brent 260 110 230 110 
			 Bromley 290 280 300 280 
			 Croydon 400 190 410 220 
			 Ealing 230 150 240 140 
			 Enfield 350 200 360 200 
			 Haringey 240 100 220 120 
			 Harrow 340 140 300 120 
			 Havering 240 190 260 170 
			 Hillingdon 230 160 270 190 
			 Hounslow 200 170 190 170 
			 Kingston upon Thames 160 140 170 110 
			 Merton 190 70 200 70 
			 Newham 130 100 140 100 
			 Redbridge 220 250 230 240 
			 Richmond upon Thames 260 70 240 70 
			 Sutton 150 190 220 170 
			 Waltham Forest 180 120 150 110 
			 '' Nil or negligible (1 )Excludes teachers in occasional service on contracts of less than one month.  Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 
		
	
	
		
			  Part-time FTE regular teachers( 1)  in local authority maintained nursery/primary and secondary schools in England and each London local authority, January 2003 to 2007 
			   2003  2004  2005 
			   Nursery/primary  Secondary  Nursery/primary  Secondary  Nursery/primary  Secondary 
			 England 20,900 16,960 22,410 18,220 23,690 19,010 
			
			 London 3,140 2,280 3,150 2,250 3,340 2,370 
			
			 City of London   
			 Camden 80 40 80 70 70 70 
			 Greenwich 130 100 120 100 140 110 
			 Hackney 90 40 90 40 90 40 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 50 30 60 40 40 40 
			 Islington 70 50 90 30 70 40 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 40 30 40 20 50 20 
			 Lambeth 110 40 100 40 100 40 
			 Lewisham 150 90 150 90 140 100 
			 Southwark 80 50 80 30 90 40 
			 Tower Hamlets 90 140 110 90 110 60 
			 Wandsworth 100 80 90 80 110 80 
			 Westminster 80 70 60 70 70 100 
			 Barking and Dagenham 40 30 40 30 40 30 
			 Barnet 200 140 200 140 200 140 
			 Bexley 80 60 80 60 80 60 
			 Brent 140 50 90 50 110 50 
			 Bromley 140 160 130 160 130 150 
			 Croydon 140 90 160 90 240 140 
			 Ealing 90 130 100 70 110 70 
			 Enfield 160 100 180 110 190 120 
			 Haringey 90 40 100 50 110 50 
			 Harrow 140 60 130 70 150 70 
			 Havering 100 90 110 100 110 90 
			 Hillingdon 90 60 90 90 90 90 
			 Hounslow 80 70 80 80 90 90 
			 Kingston upon Thames 60 50 70 60 70 80 
			 Merton 70 50 70 40 80 50 
			 Newham 60 50 50 60 60 50 
			 Redbridge 110 100 110 100 110 120 
			 Richmond upon Thames 100 40 110 40 110 40 
			 Sutton 90 70 100 80 110 100 
			 Waltham Forest 100 60 80 60 100 40 
		
	
	
		
			   2006  2007 
			   Nursery/primary  Secondary  Nursery/primary  Secondary 
			 England 26,150 19,750 27,190 20,360 
			  
			 London 3,600 2,430 3,680 2,350 
			  
			 City of London 
			 Camden 70 70 70 70 
			 Greenwich 170 110 200 100 
			 Hackney 90 40 120 50 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 50 50 60 40 
			 Islington 80 30 80 30 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 50 20 50 20 
			 Lambeth 100 40 110 40 
			 Lewisham 160 90 160 70 
			 Southwark 110 40 100 30 
			 Tower Hamlets 100 70 110 70 
			 Wandsworth 120 90 120 90 
			 Westminster 50 30 50 30 
			 Barking and Dagenham 40 40 50 50 
			 Barnet 210 130 220 120 
			 Bexley 110 90 110 80 
			 Brent 120 70 110 70 
			 Bromley 150 150 160 160 
			 Croydon 190 110 190 110 
			 Ealing 120 80 90 80 
			 Enfield 190 110 200 120 
			 Haringey 120 60 120 70 
			 Harrow 170 70 160 70 
			 Havering 110 110 120 90 
			 Hillingdon 110 80 120 100 
			 Hounslow 110 100 120 100 
			 Kingston upon Thames 80 80 80 60 
			 Merton 90 40 90 40 
			 Newham 70 60 90 60 
			 Redbridge 130 130 130 140 
			 Richmond upon Thames 130 50 130 40 
			 Sutton 120 110 110 100 
			 Waltham Forest 90 70 80 70 
			 '' Nil or negligible (1) Excludes teachers in occasional service on contracts of less than one month.  Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

Teachers: Public Opinion

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1282W, on teachers: public opinion, what  (a) discussion groups and  (b) other qualitative and quantitive opinion research of teachers commissioned by his Department have been conducted in each of the last six months.

Jim Knight: The Department often commissions research which involves both quantitive and qualitative research methods. However, the appropriate data collection method varies depending on the research aims and the time and budget available to carry out the research project. Data on  (a) other discussion groups and  (b) other qualitative and quantitive opinion research of teachers commissioned by my Department is not readily available. Gathering this information would involve disproportionate cost.

Tyndale Academy

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent representations he has received on the registration of Tyndale Academy.

Jim Knight: In the last three months we have received one representation from the proprietor and one from a member of staff at Tyndale academy about the institution's registration.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Airports: Security

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1165W, on airports: security, whether photographic security procedures applied to people travelling to Belfast from UK airports are applied to passengers travelling to other UK destinations in an identical manner.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 14 January 2008
	 As the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Poplar and Canning Town (Jim Fitzpatrick), stated in his answer on 17 December 2007, the aviation security measures in place in the UK apply equally to all airports within the National Aviation Security programme.
	Separately, the police require airlines to present passengers in a manner that would prevent any attempt to evade police scrutiny. To meet this requirement a number of airports across the United Kingdom have deployed digital imaging to ensure that the passenger who actually boards the aircraft is the same passenger that checked in. Digital imaging has been determined as the least intrusive method of meeting the police requirement, but there may be some variation in practice between airports.

Antisocial Behaviour

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of antisocial behaviour were reported to the Respect Task Force in each of the last three years.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office does not record incidents of antisocial behaviour. Any such incidents are usually reported to the police, local authority, landlord or other frontline agency public whose task it is to deal directly with that problem. However, in common with many other Departmentsfor example the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Ministry of Justicewe do receive representations from members of the public, directly or through their Member of Parliament, about our policies in the field of antisocial behaviour. We received over 2,000 such letters and e-mails in the three years from 2005 to 2007.

Arrests: Drugs

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been tested for illegal drug use who have been arrested on suspicion of other non-drug-related crimes; and how many of those tested positive for illegal drug use in  (a) England and Wales and  (b) broken down by police force area in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: Since 2003, drug testing of offenders for specified Class A drugs in police custody has operated as part of the drug interventions programme.
	The police currently have the power to request persons aged 18 and over in police detention who have been charged or arrested with a trigger offence to provide a sample for testing for the presence of a specified Class A drug. Drug testing can be conducted only for offences with a substantial link to the use of heroin or cocaine/crack.
	The trigger offences are set out in schedule 6 to the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000. These are the offences which have been shown to have the clearest link with drug misuse, particularly the misuse of heroin and cocaine/crack.
	A person arrested or charged with a non-trigger offence may be tested if a police officer decides that there are reasonable grounds to suspect that Class A drug use caused or contributed to the offence. The decision to authorise a sample must be referred to a police officer of at least the rank of inspector.
	Given the framework above, the data requested are not available.

Asylum Seekers

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the procedures are for reporting cases of physical and verbal abuse  (a) by and  (b) against failed asylum seekers during the removal process; and how many cases there have been of each in the last 12 months.

Liam Byrne: When an incident of verbal or physical abuse occurs against escort staff by detainees (which includes failed asylum seekers), staff are required to complete an incident report and submit it to senior managers. Staff can also report the matter to the police. Detainees wishing to complain against escort staff use complaints forms that are freely available in removal centres and submit them in confidence to the Border and Immigration Agency removal centre manager. Information on cases of physical and verbal abuse by and against failed asylum seekers is not collected separately and is therefore not available.

Asylum: Entry Clearances

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 7 January 2008,  Official Report, column 261W, on asylum: entry clearances, whether the number of asylum applicants granted discretionary leave to remain in each of the categories set out in criteria for granting discretionary leave is recorded by her Department.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 17 January 2008
	Grants of discretionary leave (DL) are recorded on individual files. Information is collated on the total number of grants of DL and the number of grants of DL made at initial decision on applications by unaccompanied asylum-seeking children aged 17 and under at the time of decision, but not by sub-category. Information at sub-category level can be obtained only by examination of individual records at disproportionate cost.

Asylum: Housing

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were supported in National Asylum Support Service and Border and Immigration Agency accommodation in  (a) Newcastle and  (b) the north-east in each quarter of (i) 2005, (ii) 2006 and (ii) 2007.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 15 January 2008
	The numbers of asylum seekers in receipt of support, broken down by Government office region and local authority, are published on a quarterly and annual basis. Copies of these publications are available from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	Further breakdowns of those in receipt of support by parliamentary constituency are available from the Library of the House.

Asylum: Newcastle City Council

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what National Asylum Support Services contract costs were paid to Newcastle city council in  (a) 2004-05,  (b) 2005-06 and  (c) 2006-07; and how much is expected to be paid in 2007-08.

Liam Byrne: The Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) has in place a contract with NECARS (the North East Consortium for Asylum and Refugee Support) for which the lead authority is Newcastle city council. The BIA does not hold a separate contract for asylum support with Newcastle city council.

Asylum: North Shields

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers were asked to report to North Shields immigration office in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006 and  (c) 2007.

Liam Byrne: This information is not centrally recorded and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Asylum: Somalia

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers of each age group and sex were returned to Somalia in the six months from 1 July 2007; what her policy is on returning women and children to Somalia; and what areas in Somalia are considered safe for return.

Liam Byrne: A breakdown of removals to Somalia according to age and sex is set out in the following table. Information relating to the number of asylum applicants removed from the UK during the last quarter of 2007 will be published shortly in the Asylum Statistics: 4th Quarter 2007 bulletin, copies of which will be available from the House Library.
	All returns to Somalia, including returns of women and children, are assessed on their individual merits against the background of the latest country information and will only take place when it is established that there are no protection needs.
	Those without any legal basis of stay in the UK may also return voluntarily to Somalia. There are scheduled air services to a number of destinations in SomaliaMogadishu, Bosasso, Hargeisa, Berbera, Burao and Galcaiyo.
	
		
			  Removals, voluntary departures and assisted returns( 1)  of asylum applicants, including dependants, to Somalia, July to September 2007( 2) 
			  Number of removals 
			   Gender  
			  Age of applicant at removal date  Male  Female  Total 
			 Under 18
			 18-29 *  * 
			 30-39 5 * 5 
			 40-49 *  * 
			 50-59
			 60+  * * 
			 Total 5 * 10 
			 (1) Includes enforced removals, persons departing voluntarily after enforcement action had been initiated against them, persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration and those who it is established have left the UK without informing the immigration authorities. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest five ( = 0, * = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding.  Note: Persons who had sought asylum at some stage, including dependants.

Burglary: Schools

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many thefts of IT equipment were reported in schools in Essex in each of the last three years.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Community Support Officers

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the retention level of police community support officers was in each police authority area in each year since 2002-03.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 15 January 2008
	 Information on the retention rate of police community support officers is a matter for each police authority and chief constable.

Crime Prevention: Young People

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what  (a) methods and  (b) technologies her Department has recommended to (i) police forces and (ii) local authorities for controlling the unlawful assembly of young people.

Tony McNulty: The Government have provided police and local authorities with a number of legislative options to maintain public order on our streets. The use of tactics, methods and technologies to control the unlawful assembly of young people, working within these legislative options, are operational matters for the police working with local authorities.

Crime: Internet

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the Government have to ratify the Council of Europe convention on cybercrime; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The Government remain committed to ratifying the Council of Europe convention on cybercrime, which we signed in 2001. The Government intend to begin the work of ratifying the convention in April 2008.

Crime: Surrey

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many crimes involving the fraudulent use of credit or debit cards in Surrey were  (a) reported and  (b) successfully detected in each of the last five years for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many thefts were reported in Surrey in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and what percentage were successfully detected;
	(3)  what the detection rate for domestic burglary was in Surrey in each of the last six years.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Table 1: Cheque and credit card fraud offences and theft offences recorded and detected in Surrey 
			   Cheque and credit card fraud  All theft offences 
			   Recorded  Number detected  Recorded  Percentage detected 
			 2002-03 2,349 576 27,789 13 
			 2003-04 1,800 445 28,986 13 
			 2004-05 1,466 743 25,374 14 
			 2005-06 1,071 581 24,636 14 
			 2006-07(1) 2,489 2,209 25,857 17 
			 (1) The Fraud Act 2006 commenced on 15 January 2007, altering the definition and coverage of fraud and forgery offences. At that time, the counting of cheque and plastic card fraud changed to a per account basis rather than a per transaction basis. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Detection rate for domestic burglary offences recorded by the police in Surrey 
			   Percentage detected 
			 2001-02 12 
			 2002-03 11 
			 2003-04 13 
			 2004-05 14 
			 2005-06 12 
			 2006-07 15

Crimes of Violence

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) violence against the person,  (b) criminal damage and  (c) drug-related offences have been recorded in Tamworth since 2000.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Selected offences recorded by the police in Tamworth 
			   Violence against the person  Criminal damage  Drug offences 
			 2000-01 1,610 1,721 103 
			 2001-02(1) 1,884 2,025 142 
			 2002-03 1,905 1,872 116 
			 2003-04 2,003 2,029 157 
			 2004-05 2,240 1,907 212 
			 2005-06 2,125 2,020 270 
			 2006-07 2,214 1,950 337 
			 (1) The national crime recording standard was introduced in April 2002. Figures before and after that date are not directly comparable.

Crimes of Violence: Elderly People

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many elderly people in Teesside reported being a victim of violent crime in  (a) Teesside and  (b) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland in each of the last 10 years.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is not available.
	Police recorded crime statistics are available at police force and local authority area level, but details relating to the age of victims of crime is not collected. The British Crime Survey does collect this information and can provide the data at national level, but not at police force or local authority area level.

Criminal Proceedings: Disclosure of Information

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will list the codes of practice issued under the  (a) Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and  (b) Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 on the disclosure of information to defendants; what changes have been made to each since their original publication date; which have been subject to (i) a review and (ii) a public consultation by her Department; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is as follows:
	 PACE Codes
	The following Codes of Practice have been issued under the provisions of section 60 and Part VI of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. These are:
	Code A: Stop and Search introduced 1 January 1986 SI 1985/1937
	Code B: Entry search and seizure introduced 1 January 1986 SI 1985/1937
	Code C: Detention Questioning and Treatment (excluding terrorism cases) introduced 1 January 1986 S11985/1937
	Code D: Identification introduced 1 January 1986 SI 1985/1937
	Code E: Tape/Audio recording of interviews with suspects introduced on 20 July 1988 SI 1988/1200
	Code F: Visual Recording of interviews with suspects introduced on 30 October 2002 SI 2002/2527. Selected force areas for pilot purposes. Order revoked 1 November 2003 SI 2003/2463
	Code G: Arrest introduced on 1 January 2006 SI 2005/3503
	Code H: Detention Questioning and Treatment (terrorism cases only) introduced on 25 July 2006 SI 2006/1938
	All changes proposed to the PACE codes are subject to parliamentary scrutiny and approval. Prior to presentation before Parliament, there is either a full public consultation or a consultation with statutory stakeholders in accordance with section 67 (4) of PACE. The determination of the consultation process is carried out in discussion with the Home Affairs Committee.
	The codes have been subject to change since their introduction in 1986. These changes have been carried out to reflect changes in the provisions of PACE and other legislation governing police powers and procedure. The changes have been detailed and extensive. An itemised list of all changes made since 1986 is not held centrally. However, I have placed in the Library a list of the relevant statutory instruments relating to the introduction of and revision to the PACE Codes since 1986 with a brief description of their effect; and details of the more recent changes can be found on the Home Office websites at
	http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/operational-policing/powers-pace-codes/pace-code-intro
	In March 2007 we announced the review of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and associated codes of practice (see PACE Review page on the Home Office website). We are currently considering final proposals on making the contents of the codes more accessible to both practitioners and members of the public. Final proposals will be subject to a final consultation in spring 2008.
	 CPIA Code
	The original Code of Practice under section 23(1) of the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 (CPIA) was introduced by SI 1997/1033 and came into effect on 1 April 1997. A new version of this code of practice was introduced by SI 2005/985 and came into effect on 4 April 2005 (http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2005/20050985.htm). The 2005 version of this code was preceded by a review and a public consultation exercise, Criminal Justice Act 2003 Implementation: Disclosure Codes of Practice A Consultation Document. (http://www. homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/2004-cons-cja-implementation/2004-cons-cja-implementation-doc?view=Binary)
	The main changes made in the revised version include new provision for deputy disclosure officers and greater facility for the retention of copies instead of original investigative material.

Dangerous Driving

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government plan to take to reduce levels of street racing.

Vernon Coaker: It is an offence under section 12(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 for a person to promote or take part in a race between motor vehicles on a highway. The offence carries a maximum fine at level 4 (2,500), obligatory disqualification and obligatory endorsement of between three and 11 penalty points on the offender's licence. The police also have a power under section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002 to seize a vehicle that is being driven carelessly or inconsiderately on road contrary to section 3 of the 1988 Act and in such a way as to cause or be likely to cause alarm distress or annoyance. Enforcement of the law and exercise of the seizure power are operational matters for the police.

Departmental Data Protection

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what reviews have been undertaken of her Department's rules on data protection in the last two years; if she will place in the Library a copy of the report of the last review of her Department's compliance with data protection laws; and if  (a) her Department and  (b) her Department's agencies will undertake a review of their compliance with data protection laws;
	(2)  on how many occasions in  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies confidential data have been downloaded on to compact discs (i) without and (ii) with encryption in the last 12-month period for which figures are available; how many of those discs have been posted without using recorded or registered delivery; what procedures her Department has in place for the (A) transport, (B) exchange and (C) delivery of confidential or sensitive data; what records are kept of information held by her Department being sent outside the Department; what changes have been made to her Department's rules and procedures on data protection in the last two years; on how many occasions her Department's procedures and rules on data protection have been breached in the last five years; what those breaches were; what procedures her Department has in place on downloading confidential data on to computer discs before its transfer; what technical protections there are in her Department's computer systems to prevent access to information held on those systems which is not in accordance with departmental procedures; and if she will place in the Library a copy of each of her Department's rules and procedures on the protection of confidential data on individuals, businesses and other organisations;
	(3)  how many employees of each grade in her Department  (a) have access to confidential or sensitive data and  (b) are authorised to download such data to disc; how many of her Department's employees have undergone data protection training in the last 12 months; what the average length of time is that each employee of (i) her Department and (ii) her Department's agencies has spent on data protection training; how many investigations of employees of her Department for improperly accessing confidential information have taken place in the last 12 months; how many such investigations resulted in cases of disciplinary action; and what the circumstances of each of those cases were;
	(4)  what steps have been taken to protect individuals in the event of a data breach of the National Identity Register.

Liam Byrne: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179W. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Data Protection

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are in place in her Department to ensure that personal information relating to members of the public is  (a) stored and  (b) transported securely.

Liam Byrne: I refer my right hon. Friend to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179W. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Data Protection

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department's information technology and data management systems are BS7799 compliant.

Liam Byrne: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179W. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Freedom of Information

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what requests were made to her Department under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) 2000 in each of the last two years; and what the  (a) FOI case reference number,  (b) request summary,  (c) request outcome and  (d) where appropriate, reason for exemption was in each case.

Jacqui Smith: In 2005, 1,970 requests were received in the Home Office, of which 1,469 were resolvable. The non-resolvable cases were those where no information was held or where advice and assistance were provided. Of the 1,469 resolvable requests, 42 per cent. of the requests were granted in full and 35 per cent. were withheld in full. The remainder of requests resulted in a partial disclosure or the requests were not replied to in 2005.
	In 2006, 2,861 requests were received of which 1,790 were resolvable. Of the resolvable requests, 42 per cent. were granted in full and 33 per cent were withheld in full. The remainder resulted in a partial disclosure or the requests were not replied to in 2006.
	Between 1 January and 30 September 2007, 1,849 requests were received, of which 1,270 were resolvable. Of the resolvable requests, 50 per cent. were granted in full and 24 per cent. were withheld in full. The remainder resulted in a partial disclosure or the requests were still being processed after 30 September last year. All percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number.
	All Freedom of Information requests are logged on an Access database. An automatic case reference number is generated by the database when a new case is added.
	Unfortunately a summary of each request received by the Department could be provided only at disproportionate cost. FOI requests are often contained in letters detailing individuals' personal circumstances. To put the details of the requests into the public domain would require personal information (which would allow identification of the individual to be ascertained) to be removed. This could be done only at disproportionate cost. The Home Office disclosure log provides a useful picture of the types of request received by the Department and the information which has been disclosed as a result. The disclosure log can be found at
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/freedom-of-information/released-information/
	It is also impossible to provide the specific reason why an exemption is applied without consulting each FOI response issued by the Department. This information could be collated only at disproportionate cost. It may however be useful to see the top ten exemptions used by the Department from September 2006 to August 2007.
	1. S40 Personal information (139).
	2. S31 Law enforcement (105).
	3. S22 Information intended for future publication (89).
	4. S35 Formulation of government policy (49).
	5. S36 Prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs (44).
	6. S43 Commercial interests (38).
	7. S23 Information supplied by or related to bodies dealing with security matters (32).
	8. S38 Health and safety (30).
	9. S24 National security (29).
	10. S42 Legal professional privilege (22).
	The right hon. Gentleman should be aware that more than one exemption can be applied for withholding information within a single request.

Departmental Marketing

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many posters or displays there are in the offices of her Department and its agencies displaying the names and photographs of Ministers; and what the cost has been of producing such posters or displays in the last five years.

Liam Byrne: At present there are four displays in the Home Office and its agencies displaying the work and organisational structure of the Department, which include names and photographs of Ministers.
	It is not possible without incurring disproportionate costs to identify separately the costs of specifically updating the ministerial information.

Driving Offences: Fixed Penalties

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many driving licences submitted to fixed penalty offices have been lost before return to the holder.

Maria Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. In the event of a driving licence being lost, Royal Mail will pay compensation to replace the licence and the national fixed penalty forum will assist with the claims.

Drugs: Children

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many children under 16 in  (a) the north-east,  (b) Teesside and  (c) the Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency were arrested for possession of class (i) A drugs, (ii) B drugs and (ii) C drugs in each of the last seven years;
	(2)  how many children under 16 were arrested in  (a) the North East and  (b) Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland constituency for dealing class (i) A drugs, (ii) B drugs and (ii) C drugs in each of the last seven years.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is not available centrally.
	The arrests collection undertaken by the Ministry of Justice provides data on persons arrested for recorded crime (notifiable offences), by age group, gender, ethnicity, and main offence group, i.e. violence against the person, sexual offences, robbery, burglary, drugs offences etc. More detailed data about specific offences do not form part of this collection.

Drugs: Misuse

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of those brought into a police station tested positively for Class A drugs in each year since 1997; and what the level was of voluntary take-up of treatment.

Vernon Coaker: Following a successful pilot in a limited number of sites between 2001 and 2003, drug testing of offenders for specified Class A drugs (heroin and cocaine/crack) in police custody came into operation from 2003 across 30 BCUs as part of the Drug Interventions Programme. Since that time the programme has expanded in a phased approach to 66 basic command units in 2004 and some 107 BCUs in 2005.
	Only offenders arrested or charged with a trigger offencelargely acquisitive crime related offencesare required to provide a sample to be tested for specified Class A drugs.
	Between 2003 and 2005, the programme operated drug testing at the point of charge. The average rate of positive tests for specified Class A drugs for offenders charged with a trigger offence was as follows:
	2003-04: 54 per cent.
	2004-05: 46 per cent.
	From 2005 to the present time the programme operated drug testing at the point of arrest and the average rate of positive tests for specified Class A drugs for offenders arrested for a trigger offence was:
	2005-06: 45 per cent.
	2006-07: 37 per cent.
	From 2003 the number of offenders entering treatment voluntarily through the Drug Interventions Programme are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2003-04 1,950 
			 2004-05 16,517 
			 2005-06 24,557 
			 2006-07 39,903

Drugs: Misuse

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which recommendations of the Downing street strategy unit report on drugs of 2005 have been implemented.

Phil Hope: I have been asked to respond.
	The strategy unit report on high-harm-causing drugs was undertaken in 2003, and contributed to wider policy debate across Government. The report did not make any formal recommendations to the Home Office, but helped to inform the development of the Government's existing drug strategy, which sets out a range of policies and interventions focusing on the most dangerous drugs that cause the most harm to communities and individuals.

Entry Clearances: Fraud

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions sponsors of visa applications have been found to be under investigation for obtaining indefinite leave to remain by fraudulent means; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The information requested could be obtained only through detailed examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.

Essex Police Authority: Finance

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the total police grant funding was for Essex police authority in each year since 1990;
	(2)  how much funding was allocated per head of population to Essex police authority in each year since 1990.

Tony McNulty: Essex police authority in its present format came into existence on 1 April 1995. Revenue grants for Essex police authority since 1995-96 are set out in the following table.
	The Government do not distribute grant to police authorities purely on the basis of population. The police funding formula uses a range of data relating to demographic and social characteristics to reflect the relative needs of each authority. Grant allocations also take into account the relative tax base of each authority. Grant allocations are stabilised by damping to limit year-on-year variations.
	
		
			  Essex police authority government revenue grant allocations 1995-96 to 2007-08 
			   Government grant( 1) (  m illion )  Resident population (million) 
			 1995-96 123.29 1.56 
			 1996-97 127.31 1.57 
			 1997-98 129.70 1.58 
			 1998-99 131.53 1.59 
			 1999-2000 132.75 1.60 
			 2000-01 142.51 1.61 
			 2001-02 152.99 1.62 
			 2002-03 157.94 1.62 
			 2003-04 169.34 1.63 
			 2004-05 173.67 1.64 
			 2005-06(2) 181.81 1.65 
			 2006-07(3,4) 180.43 1.65 
			 2007-08 187.91 1.66 
			 (1) Revenue funding includes all grants inside Aggregate External Finance (AEF) (i.e. revenue grants paid for councils' core services), and includes formula grant and all specific grants. (2) 2005-06 figures have been adjusted for purposes of comparison with future years following the transfer of pensions and security funding from general grant in 2006-07. (3) 2006-07 Government grant figures are provisional outurn figures. 2007-08 figures are budget figures. (4) In keeping with an initiative by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, the data for 2006-07 have been collected on a Financial Reporting Standard 17 (FRS17) basis. On this basis, decisions relating to pensions are accounted for in the year they are taken, rather than the year to which they apply. As a result some expenditure on pensions may be reflected in the data and consequently comparisons between 2006-07 and data on a non-FRS17 basis may not be valid.  Source: Population: Office of National Statistics, mid year population estimates and projections. Grants: DCLG.

Essex Police: Manpower

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) police officers and  (b) operational police officers per head of population there were in Essex police authority in each year since 1990.

Tony McNulty: The data for police officers are taken from the Home Office Statistical Bulletin series Police Service Strength England and Wales which was first published in 1998, so the data are available from 1998 onwards. The data for operational police officers have been centrally collected since 2003, so the data are available from 2003 onwards. The available data are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Police officer strength for Essex police force area, as at 31 March (FTE)( 1,2) 
			   Total officers per 100,000 population( 3)  Total operational officers per 100,000 population( 3) 
			 1998 193  
			 1999 190  
			 2000 183  
			 2001 179  
			 2002 181  
			 2003 186 177 
			 2004 192 182 
			 2005 198 187 
			 2006 203 192 
			 2007(4) 203 196 
			 (1) Full-time equivalent. This figure includes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. (2) This and other tables contain full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (3) Officers per 100,000 population for City of London and Metropolitan Police are combined. (4) Functional group totals do not match published figures. Data quality may be an issue with this force.

European Police Office

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-UK Europol officers have permission to operate within the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: No non-UK Europol officers currently have permission to operate within the United Kingdom.

Foreign Workers: Care Homes

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made of the effects of the introduction of additional transitional measures to case worker guidance on handling work permit applications relating to senior care worker posts and applications from senior care workers previously refused extensions on grounds that their new posts were not advertised nationally.

Liam Byrne: The work permit arrangements do not require now, did not require under transitional arrangements introduced in August 2007, and did not require prior to the introduction of these transitional arrangements, jobs to be advertised nationally when a work permit holder changes employer but continues to do the same type of job. Normally this only applies when an application is received either before permit holders leave their current employment or within 28 days of their last day of work with their previous employer.
	Applicants whose work permits have already expired should apply for extensions as soon as possible. Caseworkers consider all aspects of each individual case when making a decision.

Fraud: Credit Cards

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes involving fraudulent use of credit or debit cards in Tamworth were  (a) reported and  (b) successfully detected in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: The available information relates to offences of cheque and credit card fraud recorded in the Tamworth Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) area and is given in the following table. Detections data is not available at CDRP level.
	
		
			  Cheque and credit card fraud offences and theft offences recorded and detected in Tamworth 
			   Cheque and credit card fraud 
			   Recorded  Number detected 
			 2002-03 239 (1) 
			 2003-04 287 (1) 
			 2004-05 234 (1) 
			 2005-06 126 (1) 
			 2006-07(2) 98 (1) 
			 (1) Not available. (2) The Fraud Act 2006 commenced on 15 January 2007, altering the definition and coverage of fraud and forgery offences. At that time, the counting of cheque and plastic card fraud changed to a per account basis rather than a per transaction basis.

Genetics: Databases

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the cost to date of removing errors from the National DNA Database.

Jacqui Smith: A number of procedures carried out by police forces, forensic suppliers and the National DNA Database Custodian's staff are in place to ensure that information is recorded as accurately as possible on the National DNA Database. These procedures are designed to ensure as far as possible that errors are not included on the database in the first place rather than removing them once they are on. It is not possible to disaggregate the costs of these procedures from the general costs of work done by these organisations.

Human Trafficking

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the security of the support and accommodation arrangements provided for child victims of human trafficking in the north-west, north- east and midlands will be reviewed; what representations she has received from campaign organisations on the safety and security of trafficked children within the care of local authorities; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: Under the Children Acts 1989 and 2004, it is the responsibility of local authorities rather than central Government to safeguard and promote the welfare of any child who is assessed to be at risk of harm and in need of accommodation. Any review of the security of the support and accommodation arrangements provided for child victims of human trafficking in particular areas would, therefore, be for the relevant local authorities.
	On 7 December 2007 the Government published supplementary guidance, Working Together to Safeguard ChildrenSafeguarding Children who may have been Trafficked, which actively guides practitioners towards making appropriate decisions for safeguarding children they suspect may have been trafficked. The Government will also shortly publish their reform programme for unaccompanied asylum seeking children which will include proposals on how safe arrangements for trafficked children may be further improved.
	The Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Mr. Coaker), who is responsible for crime reduction, has met representatives from children's charities to discuss the safeguarding of trafficked children, and informed them of the Government's policy aims for safeguarding child victims of trafficking.

Human Trafficking

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the Government have for provision of support for people who have been trafficked beyond the current funding arrangement for the Poppy Project.

Jack Straw: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government have announced their intention to accelerate plans to ratify and implement the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings by the end of 2008, which sets a minimum framework of support for all identified victims of trafficking. This will enable us to enhance our existing arrangements and build on the support provided by the Poppy Project.

Human Trafficking

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) prosecutions and  (b) convictions there have been for human trafficking offences in each year since 2001, broken down by type of offence.

Jacqui Smith: The Sexual Offences Act 2003 came into force on 1 May 2004. Prosecution and conviction figures under dedicated trafficking legislation are as follows:
	
		
			   Court cases  Guilty verdicts 
			 2004 4 3 
			 2005 41 21 
			 2006 78 27 
			 2007 45 17 
		
	
	All the above figures relate to cases of human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. There have been no convictions to date for trafficking for exploitation under the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004 which came into force on 1 December 2004.

Human Trafficking

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate she has made of the number of people trafficked into the UK in each year since 2001.

Jacqui Smith: The nature of the crime makes it difficult to make an accurate assessment of the extent of the problem. In order to understand the situation better, the Serious Organised Crime Agency and with the United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre continue to work on improving intelligence collection as a priority. The intelligence collected as part of the current Operation Pentameter 2 will help to improve our understanding of the nature and scale of trafficking throughout the UK.
	However, findings from a Home Office research paper estimate that at any one time in 2003 there were in the region of 4,000 female victims of trafficking for prostitution in the UK.

Identity Cards: Foreigners

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she expects the target to roll out identity cards to non-EEA foreign nationals by the end of 2008 to be met.

Jacqui Smith: Yes. The UK Borders Act confirms the introduction of ID cards for foreign nationals from 2008, and we are on target.

Identity Cards: Foreigners

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether identity cards issued to foreign nationals will contain information on their right to work in the UK.

Jacqui Smith: Yes.

Immigration Controls

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the proportion of  (a) inward migration and  (b) employment-related inward migration which would have been covered by the points-based system in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: Persons from outside the European economic area wishing to come to the UK to work or study and their dependants will need to apply under the points-based system once it is introduced.

Immigration: Children

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will take steps to improve the publication of the statistics on children being held in immigration removal centres to ensure that interested parties are able to see how many children are held, and how long they have been held for; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The Home Office publishes a quarterly snapshot of people detained solely under Immigration Act powers on the last Saturday of each quarter, including a breakdown of children by length of detention. The latest published information pertains to people detained as at 29 September 2007.
	Published statistics on immigration and asylum are also available from the Library of the House.
	The Border and Immigration Agency is reviewing what statistics are published (all aspects of the statistics, not only statistics on children). A consultation document was issued on 6 December and a copy can be found at
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/bia-immig-stat-review-07.pdf

Immigration: Deportation

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of removal following the legacy exercise fell into each category of removal including  (a) enforced removals,  (b) persons leaving voluntarily after enforcement action against them and  (c) persons leaving under assisted voluntary return programmes.

Liam Byrne: We do not hold this information in this format and to obtain it would entail work being carried out at a disproportionate cost.

Immigration: EC Countries

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Government's policy is on whether the UK should join the  (a) Schengen area and  (b) Schengen visa system in the future.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 10 January 2008
	 The UK is not a member of the Schengen area as we believe that maintaining our frontier controls, including a national visa system, is the most effective way to combat illegal migration and transnational crime. We work closely with our EU partners to ensure there is effective management of the migration into the EU.

Immigration: Kosovo

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what percentage of applicants for British citizenship from Kosovo were  (a) refused and  (b) found not to be of Kosovan origin in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  what percentage of applications for British citizenship from Kosovans made since 2000 were processed within  (a) three months,  (b) six months and  (c) one year; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Out of the total number of people with their nationality recorded as Kosovan that were decided in 2007, 22.5 per cent. were refused. There is no record held of the number of individuals who have applied and subsequently been found not to be of Kosovan origin, and this information could be obtained by the detailed examination of individual case records only at disproportionate cost.
	Please see the following table which shows the processing times of files from Kosovo.
	The information has been provided from local management information and is not a National Statistic. As such, it should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change.
	
		
			  Processing times of people recorded as Kosovan 
			   Cases created  Percentage within three months  Percentage within six months  Percentage within one year 
			 2002 915 17.4 45.7 93.9 
			 2003 815 46.7 70.3 90.4 
			 2004 920 61.6 81.3 98.9 
			 2005 3,395 61.3 88.8 97.6 
			 2006 785 58.1 87.6 94.0 
			 2007 315 64.6 78.4 92.4 
			  Notes: 1. The information has been provided from local management information and is not a National Statistic. As such, it should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change. 2. Cases created in year rounded to nearest 5. 3. Local management information can only be obtained from the end of 2001, therefore figures only show complete years 2002 to 2007. 4. Applications relate to those cases with their nationality recorded as Kosovan. 5. These figure are based upon the number of cases created in the year.

Immigration: Sri Lanka

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people from Sri Lanka have been granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK in the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Statistics on Sri Lankan nationals granted settlement (indefinite leave to enter or remain), 1996 to 2006, are published in Table 5.7 in the Command Paper Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2006. This publication may be obtained from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html

Immigration: Work Permits

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent in relation to appeals against decisions not to grant people work permits  (a) in total,  (b) on legal counsel and  (c) on immigration tribunal staffing, administration and accommodation costs in the last 12 months.

Liam Byrne: Within the immigration rules there is no right of appeal against the refusal to issue a work permit and as such information on work permit appeals is not available. If a work permit is refused, the applicant can apply for a review of the case. The purpose and scope of the review is to consider whether the correct administrative procedures have been followed in reaching a decision on the application.

Independent Police Complaints Commission

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  under what legislation the awarding of compensation to complainants whose complaints have been upheld by the Independent Police Complaints Commission is regulated; what recent representations she has received about the operation of this legislation; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what guidance she  (a) has issued and  (b) plans to issue to police forces in England and Wales about the awarding of compensation to complainants whose complaints have been upheld by the Independent Police Complaints Commission; what recent representations she has received about the issue; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Under Section 88 of the Police Act 1996, any decision to award compensation following inappropriate police conduct, including following a complaint upheld by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, is a matter for the chief officer of the force. No representations have been received.

Independent Police Complaints Commission

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what legislation regulates the Independent Police Complaints Commission; what amendments have been made to, and what recent representations she has received about the operation of this legislation; what  (a) statutory instruments,  (b) departmental circulars and  (c) other documents she (i) has issued and (ii) plans to issue in the next 12 months consequential to the provisions of this legislation; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) was established under the Police Reform Act 2002, with a remit covering complaints and conduct matters involving persons serving with the police service in England and Wales. The IPCC came into operation on 1 April 2004.
	The following regulations were made under the Police Reform Act 2002 in bringing the IPCC into operation:
	the Police (Complaints and Misconduct) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/643), amended by S.I. 2006/1406;
	the IPCC (Staff Conduct) Regulations 2004 S.I. 2004/660;
	IPCC (Transitional Provisions) Order 2004 S.I. 2004/671;
	the IPCC (Forces maintained otherwise than under Police Authorities) Order 2004 S.I. 2004/672 (relating to the MoD police and BTP).
	The Independent Police Complaints Commission (Investigatory Powers) Order 2004 S.I. 2004/815 modifies, in relation to the functions of the IPCC,
	Part 3 of the Police Act 1997 (authorisations to interfere with property);
	and
	Parts 2 (intrusive surveillance) and 4 (Tribunal) of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
	Schedule 12 to the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 amended the Police Reform Act 2002, extending the IPCC's remit to cover death and serious injury matters, and to cover complaints against the Serious Organised Crime Agency.
	The Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005 and the Revenue and Customs (Complaints and Misconduct) Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/3311) as amended by S.I. 2006/1748 made under the 2005 Act extended the IPCC's remit in relation to the Commissioners and officers of HM Revenue and Customs.
	The Police and Justice Act 2006 will extend the IPCC's jurisdiction to cover specified enforcement functions of immigration officers.
	A Statutory Order was laid before Parliament on 5 June 2007 for the purpose of applying the Official Secrets Act to IPCC commissioners and staff.
	Further legislation changes affecting the IPCC will be made as part of the introduction of a new simplified and modernised police misconduct system. However, no further regulatory changes are envisaged in the next 12 months.

Intelligence Services: Disclosure of Information

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures exist for former agents of the United Kingdom intelligence services to make complaints about alleged operational misconduct practised and directed by officers of the intelligence services responsible for recruiting them.

Tony McNulty: It is open to anyone who is aggrieved by conduct they believe has been taken against them or their property by, or on behalf of, the intelligence services to complain to the independent Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT). Anyone who suspects criminal wrongdoing should inform the police.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a reply will be sent to the hon. Member for West Worcestershire's letter to the Minister of State, dated 27 November 2007, on behalf of a constituent about the deportation of asylum seekers to Uzbekistan.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 14 January 2008
	The chief executive of the Border and Immigration Agency responded to the hon. Member for West Worcestershire's letter on 11 January 2008.

Metropolitan Police: Legal Costs

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent by her Department in total on defending actions brought against the Metropolitan police by victims of crime in each year since 2001.

Tony McNulty: Defending actions brought against the Metropolitan police is a matter for the Metropolitan police and the Metropolitan Police Authority.

Pakistan: Arrests

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations she received from the Government of Pakistan on  (a) Hyrbyair Marri and  (b) Faiz Baluch prior to their arrest in the UK.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office does not comment on individual cases.

Passports

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to require UK citizens resident in Northern Ireland to carry and show their passports when travelling to the rest of the UK.

Tony McNulty: There are no plans to require Northern Ireland citizens to carry and show passports when travelling to the rest of the United Kingdom.
	Section 14 of the Police and Justice Act 2006 introduced a new power that will allow the police to capture passenger, crew and service information on air and sea journeys within the United Kingdom. The intention is that the power will be brought into force by secondary legislation in 2008. The specific police requirements under this power, which will include details of the routes affected and data required, are still under discussion within Government. Once the proposals have been finalised they will be subject to a 12-week public consultation.
	It is expected that this police power will only apply to air and sea routes between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Passengers will not be required to use passports, but may be required to produce one of several types of documentation when travelling, to enable the carrier to meet the requirements of a police request.

Police

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 1064-65W, on police, what estimate she has made of the number of civilian police posts (excluding police community support officers) in  (a) Northamptonshire and  (b) England in (i) September 2004 and (ii) March 2007.

Tony McNulty: The requested data on police staff are published as part of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin (HOSB) series Police Service Strength, England and Wales. These bulletins are in the Library of the House and can be downloaded from the Home Office website.
	(i) Information requested for September 2004 can be found in Table 2 of HOSB 23/05 located at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/rdsolr2305.pdf
	(ii) Information requested for March 2007 can be found in Table 10a of HOSB 13/07 located at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb1307.pdf

Police Stations: Closures

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police stations in rural areas have been closed in each local authority area in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 14 January 2008
	 The management of the police estate and allocation of resources are matters for each police authority and the chief officer, who are responsible for assessing local needs.

Police: Burglary

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reported thefts of lead there were in each police authority area in each of the last five years; how many successful prosecutions there have been of such thefts; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 15 January 2008
	The Home Office collect and publish recorded statistics on specific offences of theft. For example: theft from the person, theft from a vehicle, theft from a shop, theft by an employee etc. However, these statistics do not specify the item(s) which have been stolen.

Police: Cars

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cars were  (a) seized and  (b) held by police in (i) Lancashire, (ii) Cumbria, (iii) Yorkshire and (iv) Greater Manchester in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 17 January 2008
	 The police can seize vehicles under Section 59, Police Reform Act 2002 and Section 165A, Road Traffic Act 1988 as amended. Section 59 enables the police to seize a vehicle they reasonably believe is being driven in a way that both contravenes s3 or 34 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (careless/inconsiderate driving or off-road driving without authority) and is causing or is likely to cause alarm, distress or annoyance. Section 165A enables the police to seize a vehicle they reasonably believe is being driven by someone who does not have an appropriate licence (including a disqualified driver) or appropriate insurance. In both cases the police can hold the vehicle until a person pays prescribed charges in respect of its removal and storage and, in respect of s165A, produces licence and insurance. They can dispose of the vehicle if it is not claimed and retain sufficient of the proceeds to cover the unpaid charges.
	The information requested is a matter for the police forces in Lancashire, Cumbria, north, south and west Yorkshire, Humberside and Great Manchester.

Police: Finance

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what Government funding has been made available to police services to help them meet obligations under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004; and if she will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: I have been asked to reply.
	Government funding for local authorities, including police authorities to fulfil their duties under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 was taken into account in the spending plans for formula grant (Revenue Support Grant, Police Grant, and National Non Domestic Rates) announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007, copies of which are available in the Library.

Police: Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the total budget of each police authority in England and Wales was accounted for by the police authority precept in each financial year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Proportion of net budget requirement( 1)  met by precept on council tax 1997-98 to 2007-08 
			  Percentage 
			  Force  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Avon and Somerset 16.1 16.5 17.6 19.0 19.7 22.2 27.2 29.0 29.2 31.4 32.3 
			 Bedfordshire 16.1 16.7 17.9 18.7 18.8 20.7 23.1 25.2 25.3 26.8 27.1 
			 Cambridgeshire 17.1 15.9 16.4 18.8 19.6 25.4 28.3 30.7 30.7 33.2 34.0 
			 Cheshire 16.9 17.4 17.4 18.4 18.6 20.7 23 2 24.6 24.9 26.2 27 0 
			 Cleveland 11.4 9.6 11.8 12.0 12.3 16.2 18.8 20.5 20.8 21.9 22.1 
			 Cumbria 15.4 18.7 19.5 20.3 21.1 22 9 27.4 30.1 30.1 31.3 31.8 
			 Devon and Cornwall 16.7 15.7 16.4 17.6 17.9 20.8 26.5 28.2 28.8 30.1 30.6 
			 Dorset 23.7 25.7 26.7 28.1 29.5 32.0 35.4 37.3 37.9 41.6 42.1 
			 Durham 12.1 10.8 10.7 10.9 11.2 12.7 14.8 16.3 16.5 17.9 22 4 
			 Essex 18.6 20.9 21.3 21.9 21.8 23.6 26.6 27.4 27.9 29.8 30.2 
			 Gloucestershire 16.7 18.3 21.0 23.0 23.3 25.9 34.1 35.9 36.1 40.1 40.7 
			 Hampshire 17.6 16,6 17.1 17.0 17.3 21 2 25.4 27.1 27.5 29.4 29.8 
			 Hertfordshire 18.9 21.1 21.7 23.2 23.3 25.6 28.9 31.2 31.6 32 5 33.0 
			 Humberside 12.7 12.4 12.5 13.3 17.7 19.3 21.6 23.8 24.1 25.3 25.6 
			 Kent 17.0 15.4 16.2 16.5 16.8 20.0 24.0 25.6 26.1 28.7 29.1 
			 Lancashire 13.6 13.3 13.9 14.5 15.2 16.4 18.2 20.0 20.6 21.8 23 2 
			 Leicestershire 14.9 16.9 17.0 17.6 18.8 22.7 23.8 26.0 26.1 27 3 27.8 
			 Lincolnshire 20.9 23.6 23.4 24.1 24.5 25.9 27.5 28.6 29.2 32.3 32.9 
			 Norfolk 16.7 17.3 19.6 21.1 23.0 26.3 29.7 32.1 32.4 35.3 36.1 
			 Northamptonshire 21.0 20.3 21.4 21.8 22.2 27.0 30.7 33.3 33.1 34.1 34.7 
			 North Yorkshire 18.1 17.3 17.9 19.1 20.0 26.4 38.1 40.1 40.1 42.4 42.4 
			 Nottinghamshire 12.6 13.3 14.4 14.9 15.4 18.3 21.7 23 0 23.3 25.0 25.3 
			 Staffordshire 15.7 20.1 21.1 21.7 23.4 24.8 28.9 30.3 30.7 32.5 33.0 
			 Suffolk 17.8 17.7 18.1 19.1 19.9 23.5 28.6 30.3 30.6 32.8 33.5 
			 Surrey 17.0 25.3 27.5 30.8 31.8 35.3 42.7 44.2 44.6 45.6 46.1 
			 Sussex 18.7 18.0 18.2 18.5 18.8 21.7 27.4 28.6 29.0 31.2 31.9 
			 Thames Valley 19.4 18.2 19.4 20.1 20.5 22.8 29.5 31.7 32.0 33.7 34.2 
			 Warwickshire 18.0 20.9 22.9 23.9 25.1 28.9 31.4 32.6 33.0 35.3 35.7 
			 West Mercia 18.5 19.1 20.1 23.7 24.0 29.8 32.1 34.9 35.1 36.4 36.9 
			 Wiltshire 18.6 20.6 21.8 23.4 24.7 26.7 30.0 31.5 32.0 34.5 35.0 
			 Average shires 16.8 17.4 18.3 19.4 20.1 23.0 27.1 28.9 29.3 31.1 31.7 
			 
			 Greater Manchester 11.4 11.5 11.8 12.0 11.9 12.6 15.5 16.1 16.4 17.0 17.3 
			 Merseyside 11.6 12.1 12.7 13.1 13.3 14.6 14.9 15.7 15.9 17.4 17.6 
			 Northumbria 11.0 9.6 9.6 9.7 10.0 10.5 11.0 11.3 11.3 11.7 11.8 
			 South Yorkshire 11.8 11.7 11.6 11.8 12.1 14.0 16.6 17.5 17.7 18.3 18.7 
			 West Midlands 11.2 10.0 10.1 10.5 10.5 11.4 12.4 13.3 13.2 13.6 13.7 
			 West Yorkshire 11.9 11.4 11.6 12.0 12.1 14.8 16.2 17.8 18.0 19.3 19.6 
			 Average Mets 11.4 11.0 11.2 11.5 11.6 12.9 14.4 15.3 15.4 16.2 16.4 
			 
			 Average England (excl. London) 15.1 15.3 16.0 16:8 17.4 19.8 23.2 24.8 25.0 26.5 27.0 
			 
			 Metropolitan 10.6 12.5 13.1 13.6 16.4 17.7 20.1 22.2 22.5 25.0 25.6 
			 
			 Average England (incl. London) 13.9 14.6 15.2 16.0 17.1 19.3 22.4 24.1 24.4 26.1 26.7 
			 
			 Dyfed-Powys 16.5 19.7 22.7 25.3 25.5 26.8 31.5 33.9 34.9 37.4 37.4 
			 Gwent 13.4 14.5 15.1 17.9 19.1 20.9 24.4 26.9 27.9 28.4 28.4 
			 North Wales 15.8 18.4 19.8 22.4 22.4 25.3 29.9 32.9 35.2 37.9 37.9 
			 South Wales 12.5 13.9 15.4 18.2 18.4 18.8 21.3 22.3 23.3 25.4 25.4 
			 Average Wales 14.0 15.8 17.3 20.1 20.5 21.8 25.4 27.4 28.6 30.6 31.2 
			 
			 Average England and Wales 13.9 14.6 15.3 16.2 17.3 19.4 22.6 24.3 24.6 26.4 26.9 
			 (1) Net Budget Requirement figures used are taken from the BR3 (Budget Requirement 3) forms completed by all police authorities in England and Wales.  Source: English police authoritiesDCLG Welsh police authoritiesWAG.

Police: Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much central Government funding each police authority in England and Wales received in each financial year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   million 
			   Government grant( 1, 2) 
			  Police authority  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03 
			 Avon and Somerset 134.80 139.75 142.56 146.96 152.58 158.87 
			 Bedfordshire 50.14 51.90 51.97 54.24 59.89 61.51 
			 Cambridgeshire 57.23 60.66 62.87 66.89 71.27 76.80 
			 Cheshire 85.08 88.15 91.65 94.16 100.79 103.02 
			 Cleveland 67.59 72.66 73.65 76.30 80.96 84.06 
			 Cumbria 50.94 51.11 51.84 53.66 55.61 60.11 
			 Derbyshire 81.06 83.35 87.29 94.24 101.56 106.46 
			 Devon and Cornwall 132.97 141.09 146.70 152.88 163.44 167.49 
			 Dorset 54.09 54.88 56.58 58.82 62.45 65.46 
			 Durham 65.06 69.68 72.46 74.77 77.69 81.78 
			 Dyfed-Powys 24.67 25.21 25.92 26.77 28.00 28.17 
			 Essex 129.70 131.53 132.75 142.51 152.99 157.94 
			 Gloucestershire 50.59 51.78 52.12 52.88 55.55 58.78 
			 Greater Manchester 315.27 328.12 337.39 351.70 374.55 384.68 
			 Gwent 31.82 33.27 34.85 35.83 37.23 37.64 
			 Hampshire 150.38 158.77 162.66 169.64 178.39 185.16 
			 Hertfordshire 76.02 77.23 82.42 92.89 100.61 102.27 
			 Humberside 93.43 97.83 99.71 103.06 106.20 110.26 
			 Kent 141.72 151.44 154.31 162.74 178.10 179.96 
			 Lancashire 146.86 153.65 155.94 163.35 173.85 174.78 
			 Leicestershire 83.88 85.27 87.84 90.60 94.60 101.21 
			 Lincolnshire 52.23 51.13 53.30 56.43 60.34 60.97 
			 Merseyside 207.64 213.25 215.31 220.65 235.53 241.29 
			 Metropolitan(5) 1,610.26 1,633.26 1,658.78 1,601.10 1,731.70 1 ,838.70 
			 Norfolk 65.65 68.10 69.95 74.20 81.58 86.60 
			 North Wales 34.96 36.27 37.95 39.16 41.36 41.11 
			 North Yorkshire 59.23 62.62 63.89 66.55 72.69 71.68 
			 Northamptonshire 50.77 53.28 55.14 57.14 59.46 62.21 
			 Northumbria 173.67 185.28 192.25 197.06 209.79 211.02 
			 Nottinghamshire 104.73 108.06 110.75 113.91 123.97 129.84 
			 South Wales 76.37 79.54 81.98 84.27 88.02 89.25 
			 South Yorkshire 141.47 147.75 152.90 159.24 167.09 168.77 
			 Staffordshire 96.15 95.09 96.27 100.13 105.23 106.36 
			 Suffolk 52.57 55.14 57.29 59.09 62.24 62.02 
			 Surrey 75.60 67.61 67.61 83.09 83.35 87.48 
			 Sussex 127.99 134.66 137.03 142.03 149.10 153.68 
			 Thames Valley 171.15 181.27 184.64 193.02 210.13 219.41 
			 Warwickshire 42.18 42.54 43.16 44.98 46.90 48.67 
			 West Mercia 87.74 90.86 92.92 98.36 108.63 109.21 
			 West Midlands 317.34 335.10 342.16 357.58 379.35 388.14 
			 West Yorkshire 238.20 249.54 255.01 268.61 287.07 288.26 
			 Wiltshire 52.08 52.87 53.84 57.20 60.89 60.78 
			 England and Wales Total 5,861.30 6,050.55 6,185.59 4,737.60 5,038.79 5,173.15 
		
	
	
		
			   Government grant( 1, 2) 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06( 3)  2006-07( 4)  2007-08( 4) 
			 Avon and Somerset 173.99 175.19 183.81 185.92 184.21 
			 Bedfordshire 66.83 69.22 73.11 74.15 76.21 
			 Cambridgeshire 77.96 79.66 85.26 82.33 85.58 
			 Cheshire 112.59 119.77 124.28 130.88 136.13 
			 Cleveland 90.97 94.79 99.54 101.32 105.29 
			 Cumbria 63.08 65.27 68.71 72.43 72.29 
			 Derbyshire 111.23 114.88 119.38 117.32 119.81 
			 Devon and Cornwall 174.26 180.29 189.16 190.95 199.38 
			 Dorset 71.17 75.46 73.19 81.17 82.66 
			 Durham 86.93 90.27 95.28 94.36 97.68 
			 Dyfed-Powys 30.12 32.23 33.61 32.69 34.17 
			 Essex 169.34 173.67 181.81 180.43 187.91 
			 Gloucestershire 61.48 63.66 68.00 67.93 71.35 
			 Greater Manchester 417.66 433.15 462.73 479.73 484.16 
			 Gwent 40.90 43.29 44.44 44.27 45.70 
			 Hampshire 197.87 208.08 239.16 222.35 221.75 
			 Hertfordshire 108.85 114.58 117.84 121.12 127.33 
			 Humberside 117.34 124.65 132.49 135.00 134.90 
			 Kent 188.38 198.30 203.93 193.45 219.23 
			 Lancashire 188.91 196.55 205.41 207.98 215.90 
			 Leicestershire 107.59 111.45 118.17 124.81 126.03 
			 Lincolnshire 64.98 68.22 71.17 66.54 72.47 
			 Merseyside 267.38 269.90 279.85 276.08 287.30 
			 Metropolitan(5) 1,923.90 1,983.50 1,928.50 2,019.00 2,115.40 
			 Norfolk 90.79 94.37 99.27 100.08 102.25 
			 North Wales 44.71 47.08 49.47 48.07 50.28 
			 North Yorkshire 78.89 80.61 83.73 86.24 79.39 
			 Northamptonshire 69.79 70.71 72.37 75.49 78.53 
			 Northumbria 226.21 233.28 250.55 249.17 260.01 
			 Nottinghamshire 136.54 142.04 148.94 143.48 145.55 
			 South Wales 93.45 103.17 107.45 91.93 94.82 
			 South Yorkshire 184.86 191.87 202.82 205.49 211.15 
			 Staffordshire 112.87 117.62 122.43 122.05 126.77 
			 Suffolk 69.57 71.81 74.76 73.73 75.57 
			 Surrey 93.59 96.78 100.80 104.76 110.12 
			 Sussex 168.05 180.99 180.95 156.10 189.14 
			 Thames Valley 233.34 237.32 249.35 260.52 261.98 
			 Warwickshire 51.91 53.90 56.16 54.57 56.91 
			 West Mercia 114.12 117.77 122.50 126.05 131.49 
			 West Midlands 415.20 433.31 466.12 471.41 487.88 
			 West Yorkshire 310.30 329.12 347.12 345.62 348.95 
			 Wiltshire 64.68 65.85 70.26 68.77 73.03 
			 England and Wales total 5,548.65 5,770.08 6,075.37 6,066.75 6,271.23 
			 (1 )Revenue funding includes all grants inside aggregate external finance (AEF) (i.e. revenue grants paid for councils' core services), and includes formula grant and all specific grants. (2 )Welsh Government grant includes Home Office police grant, floor funding and additional support provided to ensure Welsh police authorities receive at least a minimum increase in grant in line with English authorities. (3 )In 2005-06 figures were adjusted for comparison purposes following the transfer of pensions and security funding from general grant in 2006-07. (4 )2006-07 Government grant figures are provisional outturn figures. 2007-08 figures are budget figures. (5) The data for Metropolitan Police Authority from 2000-01 onwards is not available from DCLG as they are collected as consolidated data from GLA. Data used is compiled from Home Office data for allocated grants.  Source: DCLGfrom English police authorities/WAGfrom Welsh police authorities.

Police: Football

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how much Leicestershire constabulary spent in policing football matches in the city of Leicester in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what the average amount spent by police forces was to police  (a) football matches and  (b) music events in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: Decisions on the distribution of resources are matters for the chief officer and the police authority.

Police: Manpower

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of  (a) police community support officers and  (b) regular police officers fall into each ethnic category in each police force area.

Tony McNulty: Figures relating to 31 March 2007 appear in the following tables.
	
		
			  Number  of police community support officers and police officers in post 31 March 2007 by police force area: Percentages in each ethnic group 
			  (a) Police community support officers 
			  Percentage( 1) 
			   White  Mixed  Asian or Asian British  Black or black British  Other ethnic group  Not stated  Total( 2) 
			 Avon and Somerset 95.7 1.3 0.7 0.7 0.7 1.0 100.0 
			 Bedfordshire 89.2 3.6 6.0 1.2 0.0 0.0 100.0 
			 Cambridgeshire 92.9 2.2 3.3 1.1 0.0 0.5 100.0 
			 Cheshire 100.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0 
			 Cleveland 98.2 0.0 1.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0 
			 Cumbria 98.8 1.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0 
			 Derbyshire 95.6 1.1 2.2 1.1 0.0 0.0 100.0 
			 Devon and Cornwall 67.1 0.3 0.0 0.3 0.9 31.3 100.0 
			 Dorset 97.5 0.8 1.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0 
			 Durham 98.6 0.7 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0 
			 Dyfed-Powys 98.7 0.0 0.0 1.3 0.0 0.0 100.0 
			 Essex 95.3 1.0 1.1 1.0 0.0 1.5 100.0 
			 Gloucestershire 86.6 1.8 2.4 0.0 1.2 8.0 100.0 
			 Greater Manchester 95.5 0.4 2.9 1.2 0.0 0.0 100.0 
			 Gwent 97.1 0.0 1.9 1.0 0.0 0.0 100.0 
			 Hampshire 98.3 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.3 1.0 100.0 
			 Hertfordshire 94.6 0.0 2.2 0.9 0.0 2.2 100.0 
			 Humberside 99.0 0.5 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 100.0 
			 Kent 96.1 1.5 1.5 0.0 1.0 0.0 100.0 
			 Lancashire 97.6 0.5 1.1 0.0 0.0 0.8 100.0 
			 Leicestershire 90.3 0.5 9.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0 
			 Lincolnshire 98.6 0.0 0.0 1.4 0.0 0.0 100.0 
			 London, City of 83.3 8.3 5.6 2.8 0.0 0.0 100.0 
			 Merseyside 94.6 3.6 1.5 0.3 0.0 0.0 100.0 
			 Metropolitan Police 67.4 3.8 12.1 11.3 4.1 1.3 100.0 
			 Norfolk 97.2 0.0 1.1 0.6 1.1 0.0 100.0 
			 Northamptonshire 93.0 3.9 0.8 2.3 0.0 0.0 100.0 
			 Northumbria 98.0 1.2 0.4 0.0 0.4 0.0 100.0 
			 North Wales 95.9 0.7 1.4 0.0 0.0 2.1 100.0 
			 North Yorkshire 99.3 0.0 0.0 0.7 0.0 0.0 100.0 
			 Nottinghamshire 96.1 0.9 2.5 0.5 0.0 0.0 100.0 
			 South Wales 98.3 0.0 0.8 0.0 0.3 0.6 100.0 
			 South Yorkshire 95.1 0.0 1.2 3.0 0.3 0.3 100.0 
			 Staffordshire 96.1 1.0 2.5 0.5 0.0 0.0 100.0 
			 Suffolk 99.2 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0 
			 Surrey 93.1 0.0 3.5 1.0 0.5 2.0 100.0 
			 Sussex 94.8 1.1 0.3 0.3 0.7 2.8 100.0 
			 Thames Valley 93.0 1.9 4.2 0.5 0.0 0.5 100.0 
			 Warwickshire 94.5 0.0 3.9 0.8 0.0 0.8 100.0 
			 West Mercia 92.6 0.9 0.9 0.5 0.0 5.1 100.0 
			 West Midlands 85.0 2.3 9.1 2.3 0.5 0.8 100.0 
			 West Yorkshire 95.1 0.3 3.9 0.6 0.1 0.0 100.0 
			 Wiltshire 98.3 0.8 0.0 0.8 0.0 0.0 100.0 
			 
			 England and Wales 86.8 1.7 5.0 3.6 1.3 1.6 100.0 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Police officers 
			  Percentage( 1) 
			   White  Mixed  Black or black British  Asian or Asian British  Other ethnic group  Not stated  Total( 2) 
			 Avon and Somerset 98.4 0.4 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.0 100.0 
			 Bedfordshire 93.1 1.4 0.9 2.9 0.1 1.7 100.0 
			 Cambridgeshire 96.3 0.9 0.5 0.9 0.1 1.4 100.0 
			 Cheshire 98.6 0.6 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.5 100.0 
			 Cleveland 96.0 0.3 0.0 1.1 0.1 2.5 100.0 
			 Cumbria 98.9 0.5 0.2 0.4 0.0 0.0 100.0 
			 Derbyshire 96.5 0.8 0.4 2.1 0.1 0.0 100.0 
			 Devon and Cornwall 91.0 0.3 0.3 0.0 0.1 8.3 100.0 
			 Dorset 98.7 0.7 0.1 0.3 0.1 0.1 100.0 
			 Durham 98.5 0.7 0.1 0.6 0.1 0.0 100.0 
			 Dyfed Powys 99.2 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.0 100.0 
			 Essex 98.0 1.0 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.1 100.0 
			 Gloucestershire 97.9 0.7 0.5 0.2 0.4 0.4 100.0 
			 Greater Manchester 96.1 1.5 0.6 1.5 0.4 0.0 100.0 
			 Gwent 98.5 0.9 0.3 0.3 0.1 0.0 100.0 
			 Hampshire 90.2 0.5 0.3 0.6 0.5 7.9 100.0 
			 Hertfordshire 96.4 1.0 0.5 0.9 0.2 1.0 100.0 
			 Humberside 99.0 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.0 100.0 
			 Kent 98.0 0.8 0.3 0.6 0.3 0.0 100.0 
			 Lancashire 86.6 1.0 0.1 1.6 0.1 10.5 100.0 
			 Leicestershire 92.6 1.3 1.0 3.5 0.0 1.6 100.0 
			 Lincolnshire 98.6 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.1 0.0 100.0 
			 London, City of 94.9 1.4 1.6 2.0 0.1 0.0 100.0 
			 Merseyside 97.3 1.4 0.4 0.3 0.6 0.0 100.0 
			 Metropolitan Police 91.9 1.4 2.4 2.8 1.3 0.2 100.0 
			 Norfolk 98.3 0.7 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.5 100.0 
			 North Wales 98.6 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.8 100.0 
			 North Yorkshire 98.7 0.6 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.1 100.0 
			 Northamptonshire 87.4 1.1 1.5 1.0 0.2 8.8 100.0 
			 Northumbria 98.4 0.6 0.1 0.4 0.3 0.3 100.0 
			 Nottinghamshire 96.5 0.9 0.9 1.2 0.2 0.3 100.0 
			 South Wales 86.2 1.1 0.1 0.4 0.2 12.0 100.0 
			 South Yorkshire 96.6 0.1 1.1 1.6 0.1 0.6 100.0 
			 Staffordshire 98.2 0.7 0.5 0.5 0.0 0.0 100.0 
			 Suffolk 98.1 1.3 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.0 100.0 
			 Surrey 95.7 1.7 0.4 0.8 0.3 1.1 100.0 
			 Sussex 98.6 0.5 0.3 0.1 0.5 0.0 100.0 
			 Thames Valley 92.9 1.5 0.8 1.3 0.2 3.4 100.0 
			 Warwickshire 94.7 0.6 0.3 3.1 0.2 1.0 100.0 
			 West Mercia 98.6 0.3 0.3 0.5 0.2 0.0 100.0 
			 West Midlands 92.4 1.4 1.6 3.9 0.1 0.4 100.0 
			 West Yorkshire 95.7 0.8 0.7 2.3 0.3 0.2 100.0 
			 Wiltshire 98.6 0.6 0.5 0.2 0.1 0.0 100.0 
			 
			 England and Wales 94.7 1.0 0.9 1.5 0.4 1.4 100.0 
			 (1) Percentages are calculated on the numbers of full-time equivalent officers. (2) Some percentages may not add precisely to 100.0 because of rounding to one decimal place.

Police: Uniforms

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many protective vests were issued to police officers in each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: This information is not held centrally. Decisions relating to the selection, purchase and issue of body armour are matters for individual chief officers of police.

Proscribed Organisations

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 10 December 2007,  Official Report, column 98W, on Proscribed Organisations Appeals Commission (POAC) and the subsequent refusal of the POAC to permit the Government to appeal against its order to the Home Secretary to lift the ban on the prohibition of the People's Mujahedeen of Iran, what steps the Government are taking to comply with the judgment and implement the order.

Tony McNulty: The Government have applied to the Court of Appeal for leave to appeal the judgment of the Proscribed Organisations Appeals Commission (POAC) in relation to the proscription of the People's Mujahedeen of Iran. No action will be taken in respect of the judgment until the appeals process has concluded.

Public Order Offences

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance her Department has issued on the prevention by police of photographers taking pictures in public places; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: It is an operational matter for the chief constable of the force area concerned, based on the individual circumstances of the situation, to determine whether action is required to respond to an offence or where they suspect an offence is about to be committed or to prevent a breach of the peace.

Violence Against the Person

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the percentage crime detection rate for  (a) violence against the person,  (b) sexual offences,  (c) burglary,  (d) robbery and  (e) theft from a vehicle was in each London borough in each year since 1988, broken down by age group.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not available centrally from the recorded crime statistics. Details of the ages of victims and alleged offenders are not collected.

Violence Against the Person

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences were recorded for  (a) violence against the person,  (b) sexual offences,  (c) burglary,  (d) robbery and  (e) theft from a vehicle in each London borough in each year since 1988, broken down by age group.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not available centrally from the recorded crime statistics. Details of the ages of victims and alleged offenders are not collected.

Visits Abroad

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the  (a) destination,  (b) duration and  (c) purpose was of each overseas visit by members of staff in her Department of each civil service grade over the last 12 months.

Liam Byrne: The requested information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department expects all official travel to be undertaken only where there is a clear business need and that, when such a need arises, it is carried out by the most efficient and economic means available, taking into account the cost of travel and subsistence, savings in official time, management benefit, and the needs of staff with disabilities. This is in accordance with the Civil Service Management Code.

West Mercia Police: Finance

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will hold discussions with the chief constable of West Mercia police on the funding arrangements for the policing of community events.

Tony McNulty: Funding arrangements for the policing of community events are a matter for the chief constable and police authority concerned.